BIO: Winston Crite was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. He attended South High School Bakersfield, where, as a sophomore, he led his team to the San Joaquin Valley Championship. In his senior year, Crite was voted by the Bakersfield Californian as the All Area Player of the Year, and was later named to the All Northern California all-star team.

At 6’7″ (2.00 m) and 233 lb (106 kg), he played power forward and after a very successful career at Texas A&M University was selected with 53rd overall (7th in third round) pick in the 1987 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He spent two following seasons in the NBA playing for Suns before playing the remainder of his career in Europe.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Winston Crite made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 23 years of age. He scored 44 points in his first game.

The Brisbane Bullets entered the 1989 NBL campaign undergoing a period of change, having lost two of their top three scorers from the previous season—young star Shane Heal (to Geelong) and athletic import Emery Atkinson (to Canberra). In response, the club turned to American forwards Winston Crite and Greg Giddings to help fill the offensive void and provide strength in the post.

Leroy Loggins (22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks) once again led the team in scoring and defensive output. However, despite another standout individual year, he was left off the All-NBL First Team for the first time since 1981—a likely reflection of Brisbane’s slide down the standings. Crite (20.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks) produced strong numbers but wasn’t able to replicate the chemistry and impact of past imports alongside Loggins.

Long-time veterans Larry Sengstock (12.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists) and Ron Radliff (12.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals) continued to be key contributors, although both began to show signs of decline as the season wore on.

One of the season’s major developments was the rise of Robert Sibley (15.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists), who significantly increased his production after a more limited role the year before. Sibley’s emergence as a reliable scorer and rebounder added much-needed depth to Brisbane’s frontcourt.

Despite these individual efforts, the Bullets failed to rediscover the form that had made them contenders throughout the decade. They finished the regular season with an 11–13 record, placing eighth on the ladder and missing the postseason for the first time since 1983.

Winston Crite played one season in the NBL. He averaged 20.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 20 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (833 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.