Jim Cleamons

James Mitchell Cleamons (born September 13, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and Washington Bullets. In the 1975–76 season, he was selected to the second-team NBA All-Defensive Team. As a rookie, he was a member of the Lakers' 1972 NBA championship team that won a league record 33 consecutive games.

Cleamons played college basketball for Ohio State University in the Big Ten Conference. In 1971, he was named the Big Ten Conference's Most Valuable Player, and was selected first-team All-Big Ten; after having been named second-team All-Big Ten in 1970.

Cleamons has coached basketball in the NBA and at the college and high school levels, as an assistant and head coach. Cleamons was an assistant coach to head coach Phil Jackson on nine NBA championship teams with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

Early life Cleamons was born on September 13, 1949, in Lincolnton, North Carolina. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Linden-McKinley High School in 1967. In 1967, he played on an Ohio state Class AA championship basketball team at Linden-McKinley; scoring 18 points in the championship game.

As a junior in 1966, Cleamons was an Associated Press (AP) honorable mention All-Central District Class AA in basketball. The AP named him first-team All-District Class AA in 1967.

College Cleamons attended Ohio State University in Columbus, earning a degree in education. Ohio State Buckeyes' basketball coach Fred Taylor first saw Cleamons at a high school game in Columbus, and liked the way he moved as a basketball player (even though Cleamons was not considered the top player at Linden-McKinley). Cleamons originally wanted to go to college away from home, but Taylor persuaded him to attend Ohio State. Cleamons played for the Buckeyes' basketball team as a swingman. He played forward as a sophomore and junior, and point guard his senior year (1970–71). In 1970–71, he was team captain and leader of the Buckeyes team that won the Big Ten championship.

As a sophomore (1968–69), Cleamons averaged 16.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, second to teammate Dave Sorenson in both categories. As a junior (1969–70), he averaged 21.6 points and eight rebounds per game, again second to Sorenson on the Buckeyes. He is reported to have led the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.598) in 1969–70. and the AP named him first-team All-Big Ten. He was third on the Buckeyes in scoring (17.4 points per game) and second in rebounding (6.3 rebounds per game). Cleamons, the only senior on that Buckeyes' team, was described as "the 'quarterback' of the Ohio State scheme" that season, and the individual who kept the team's play in order. Coach Taylor said that having Cleamons was like having another coach on the floor.

Over his three-year career with the Buckeyes, Cleamons averaged 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Playing career

Los Angeles Lakers Cleamons was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 13th pick of the 1971 NBA draft. He was also selected in the fourth round of the 1971 American Basketball Association draft by the Indiana Pacers. Cleamons chose the NBA, and had a nine-year NBA career for four teams (the Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks, and the Washington Bullets).

In 1971-72, Cleamons was the only rookie playing on a Lakers team that won 33 straight games, finished the regular season 69–13, and won the NBA championship. It is considered one of the greatest teams in league history. As back-up point guard to future Hall of Fame player Jerry West, Cleamons averaged only 5.3 minutes per game.

Cleveland Cavaliers In August 1972, the Lakers traded Cleamons to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second round draft pick. On hearing he was traded, Cleamons cried. He was a part-time player during his first two years in Cleveland. Cleamons played in 80 games in 1972–73, averaging 17.4 minutes, 5.7 points, 2.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game. The next season, he played in 81 games, averaging over 20 minutes per game, and seven points, 2.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. In the 1974-75 season he became the Cavaliers starting point guard. Cleamons averaged 36.4 minutes, 11.9 points, 5.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, in 74 games.

Cleamons started every Cavaliers' game in the 1975-76 season, averaging a career high 12.2 points per game, along with 4.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. This was the Cavaliers first truly successful squad in its six-year history, and became known as the "Miracle of Richfield" team under coach Bill Fitch. Cleamons was a key young player on a team that included a focus on "dogged defense". The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals over the Washington Bullets in a dramatic seven game series decided by two points in the final game. Cleamons' most memorable play as a Cavalier came in Game 5 of the Bullets series, when he grabbed a Bingo Smith air ball and put in the game-winning layup in the game's last seconds. in the Eastern Conference finals. Cleamons averaged 39.7 minutes, 15.2 points, 4.8 assists, and seven rebounds per game against the Celtics, leading the Cavaliers in scoring during that series. He averaged 34.1 minutes, 10.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game.

New York Knicks and Washington Bullets Cleamons signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks in October 1977, with the Cavaliers receiving the 32-year old Walt Frazier as compensation. He was the first Knick to make a three-point field goal in the regular season (October 18, 1979). Cleamons played two full seasons with the Knicks. In 1977–78, he played in 79 games for the Knicks, starting 44, and averaging 25.4 minutes, 6.5 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game. He started 71 games the following season with the Knicks, averaging 30.3 minutes, 9.5 points, 4.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game.

In early December 1979, the Knicks traded Cleamons to the Bullets for a 1981 third round draft pick. Before being traded, he played in 22 games for the Knicks as a reserve, averaging less than 12 minutes per game. With the Bullets, Cleamons averaged 26.9 minutes per game in 57 games, averaging 7.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game, in what was his final NBA season as a player. Cleamons was not on the Mavericks' roster during their inaugural season.

Over his nine year NBA career, Cleamons averaged 26.1 minutes, 8.3 points, 3.9 assists and three rebounds per game. His playing height and weight as an NBA player are listed as 6 ft 3 in (1.91m), 185 pounds (84 kg).

Cleamons had been a teammate of Phil Jackson when they played together with the Knicks. They both knew basketball and had "basketball chemistry" in discussing the game. A decade later, in 1989, when Jackson became head coach of the Chicago Bulls he invited Cleamons to join his staff and Cleamons eventually did so. He was the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks for slightly over one year, from 1996 to 1997, where he was unsuccessful in utilizing the triangle offense. He then was the head coach of the Chicago Condors of the American Basketball league, a short-lived women's professional basketball league in the mid-1990s.

He was Jackson's assistant coach again with the Lakers, from 1999-2004 and 2006-11. Between the two periods with the Lakers, he was an assistant with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2004-2006). In 2013, he became an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks for one season.

In 2014, Jackson, who had become the Knicks' president, hired Cleamons to join the New York Knicks coaching staff under Derek Fisher. He was an assistant coach for the Knicks for two seasons. He was not on the coaching staff for the 2019-2020 season.

Honors In 1984, he was inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.

Personal life Cleamons and his wife Cheryl have two daughters, Imani and Rose. Since moving back to Columbus he has served as a motivational speaker and basketball instructor to high school youth.

Career playing statistics

NBA Source

Regular season Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

Playoffs Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

Head coaching record College

NBA