Phil Jackson will hire yet another one of his former colleagues to the New York Knicks coaching staff. According to Brad Turner of Los Angeles Times, former Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach, Jim Cleamons, will take the same position on Derek Fisher’s staff in New York.
Cleamons is a longtime assistant coach. He began his first NBA assistant coaching gig with Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls in 1989. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach in college and also was a head coach for Youngstown State for two years (1987-1989).
As an assistant with the Bulls, Cleamons helped them win four world championship rings. He then moved on to become an NBA head coach for the Dallas Mavericks but was fired after a season and a half. He reunited with Phil Jackson once again in Los Angeles for the Lakers. He won another three championships with Jackson until he and Phil left in 2004. From there, Jim joined the then-New Orleans Hornets coaching staff behind Byron Scott.
In 2006, he once again reunited with Phil Jackson and the Lakers. He remained with the team until 2011 and won two more rings. Cleamons was most recently with the Milwaukee Bucks under Larry Drew.
Jim Cleamons will certainly provide plenty of experience and knowledge to Fisher’s coaching staff. Phil Jackson is determined to give his former associates a chance to prove themselves with the New York Knicks.
Earlier in the off-season, Jackson hired Kurt Rambis as lead assistant coach, and previous rumors suggests that Phil will possibly hire the likes of Rick Fox and Bill Cartwright as well to fill out the rest of Derek Fisher’s coaching staff.