Jim Cleamons facts for kids
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 13, 1949 Lincolnton, North Carolina, U.S. |
| High school | Linden-McKinley (Columbus, Ohio) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Ohio State (1968–1971) |
| NBA Draft | 1971 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Pro career | 1971–1980 |
| Coaching career | 1982–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1971–1972 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1972–1977 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1977–1979 | New York Knicks |
| 1979–1980 | Washington Bullets |
| As coach: | |
| 1982–1983 | Furman (assistant) |
| 1983–1987 | Ohio State (assistant) |
| 1987–1989 | Youngstown State |
| 1989–1996 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
| 1996–1997 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1998–1999 | Chicago Condors |
| 1999–2004 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2004–2006 | New Orleans Hornets (assistant) |
| 2006–2011 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2011–2012 | Zhejiang Guangsha |
| 2013–2014 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
| 2014–2016 | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| 2017–2018 | Yeshiva University of Los Angeles (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As assistant coach:
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 5,412 (8.3 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,981 (3.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,531 (3.9 apg) |
James Mitchell Cleamons (born September 13, 1949) is a famous American basketball player and coach. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and later coached at different levels. He is well-known for being an assistant coach on nine NBA championship teams!
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Jim Cleamons was born on September 13, 1949, in Lincolnton, North Carolina. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio. Jim was a talented basketball player in high school. He graduated from Linden-McKinley High School in 1967. His high school team even won a state championship in Ohio!
College Basketball Career
Jim went to Ohio State University in Columbus. He studied education there. He was a key player on the Ohio State basketball team. He played as a swingman, which means he could play different positions.
During his senior year (1970–71), Jim was the team captain. He helped lead his team to win the Big Ten Conference championship. The team had a great record of 20 wins and 6 losses. They even made it to the regional finals in the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. Ohio State finished that season ranked 10th in the nation.
Over his three years in college, Jim averaged 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He was chosen for the first-team All-Big Ten in his final year.
Jim Cleamons as an NBA Player
The Los Angeles Lakers picked Jim Cleamons in the first round of the 1971 NBA draft. He was the 13th player chosen overall. Jim played for nine years in the NBA. He played for four different teams: the Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks, and the Washington Bullets.
Winning an NBA Championship
In his first year, 1971-72, Jim was a rookie with the Los Angeles Lakers. This Lakers team was amazing! They won 33 games in a row. They finished the regular season with 69 wins and only 13 losses. This team is still considered one of the best in NBA history. Jim and the Lakers won the NBA championship that year. He was a backup point guard to the legendary player Jerry West.
Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers
In 1972, Jim was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was sad to leave the Lakers, but he soon became a very important player for the Cavaliers. By the 1974-75 season, he was playing over 36 minutes per game.
In the 1975-76 season, Jim started every game for the Cavaliers. He had his best year, averaging 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. This team was known as the "Miracle of Richfield." They were famous for their strong defense.
The Cavaliers won their first playoff series against the Washington Bullets. It was a very close series that went to seven games. In Game 5, Jim made a game-winning layup in the final seconds! This was one of his most memorable plays.
Time with the Knicks and Bullets
After playing one more season in Cleveland, Jim joined the New York Knicks in 1977. He played two full seasons with the Knicks. He was the first Knicks player to make a three-point shot in a regular season game.
In 1979, he was traded to the Washington Bullets. He played his final NBA season with the Bullets. He averaged 26.9 minutes per game in 57 games for them.
Jim Cleamons as a Coach
After his playing career, Jim Cleamons became a basketball coach. He started as an assistant coach at Furman University (1982–83) and Ohio State (1983-1987). Then, he became the head coach at Youngstown State University from 1987 to 1989.
Coaching with Phil Jackson
Jim had played with Phil Jackson when they were both on the New York Knicks. They had a great understanding of basketball together. In 1989, Phil Jackson became the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. He asked Jim to join his coaching staff.
Jim became a very successful assistant coach under Phil Jackson. He helped Jackson's teams win nine NBA championships! He coached famous players like Michael Jordan with the Bulls and Kobe Bryant with the Lakers.
Head Coach and Other Roles
Jim was an assistant coach for the Bulls from 1989 to 1996. He then became the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks for about a year (1996-1997). After that, he coached the Chicago Condors, a women's professional basketball team.
He returned to be an assistant coach with Phil Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2006 to 2011. He also worked as an assistant coach for the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2004-2006).
In 2011, Jim coached in the Chinese Basketball Association. In 2013, he was an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. He also served as acting head coach for the Lakers a few times when Phil Jackson was away.
In 2014, Phil Jackson hired Jim to join the New York Knicks coaching staff. His last coaching role was as an assistant coach for the Yeshiva University of Los Angeles (YULA) high school boys basketball team from 2017 to 2018.
Life After Coaching
In late 2019 and early 2020, Jim Cleamons traveled as an NBA basketball ambassador. He visited countries in Africa and Australia. In 2020, he and his wife moved back to Columbus, Ohio.
He coached the Ohio team in the 2022 HCBU College Basketball All Star Game. Since returning to Columbus, he has been a motivational speaker. He also teaches basketball to high school students.
Honors and Awards
Jim Cleamons has received several honors for his basketball career:
- In 1984, he was inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame.
- In 2008, he was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
- In 2019, he was inducted into the Ohio High School Circle of Champions.
Images for kids
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Jim Cleamons
See also
In Spanish: Jim Cleamons para niños
