Jim Cleamons

Within a one-year span, Jim Cleamons went from serving as an assistant to the NBA's most accomplished coach in Phil Jackson to suddenly looking for work. He spent this summer coaching Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), but he doesn't plan on returning. "One of the reasons the Chinese job was intriguing to me is the season is over with and I have this opportunity to look, secure and interview maybe at the collegiate level," said Cleamons, who coached former New York Knicks forward Wilson Chandler.

Within a one-year span, Jim Cleamons went from serving as an assistant to the NBA's most accomplished coach in Phil Jackson to suddenly looking for work. He spent this summer coaching Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), but he doesn't plan on returning. "One of the reasons the Chinese job was intriguing to me is the season is over with and I have this opportunity to look, secure and interview maybe at the collegiate level," said Cleamons, who coached former New York Knicks forward Wilson Chandler.

Asked to assess how the Lakers did in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons paused for a few seconds. The Lakers won by eight points. But they shot just 41% from the field, 68% from the free-throw line. They outscored the Thunder by 14 points in the first quarter, but Oklahoma City outscored them, 66-60, the rest of the way. The Lakers built a 17-point lead, but saw that cut to six points in the fourth.

Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said he has been contacted by Puerto Rico officials about becoming the national team coach. Cleamons said he is scheduled to meet with the officials this week to talk about leading the team at the FIBA Americas Championship. "They said they had some interest," Cleamons said. "I have some interest. It's something I would do, especially if there is a lockout. " Cleamons has been a member of Phil Jackson's staff with the Lakers and the Chicago Bulls.

Win Game 6 on Thursday night in New Orleans, or return home for Game 7 at Staples Center on Saturday night. That's what the Lakers are up against. The Lakers know they can close out the stubborn New Orleans Hornets with a victory and advance to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. But if the Lakers lose the game in the best-of-seven series they lead, 3-2, Los Angeles will have to face the Hornets in a winner-take-all final game. "They are not going to go away easy," Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said.

Reporting from New Orleans The goal for the Lakers is to push the New Orleans Hornets to the brink of elimination in the Western Conference first-round playoff series. The goal for the Hornets is to pull even with the Lakers in the best-of-seven series. They are two teams with the same goal, which is to win Game 4 on Sunday night at New Orleans Arena. Only one of them will accomplish that goal. "Sunday's game is the most important game of the series — for both teams," Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said after practice Saturday.

They are the three amigos now, having become that way after one of their foursome departed over the summer to run his own show. There hasn't been any more pressure put on the shoulders of Lakers assistant coaches Jim Cleamons , Frank Hamblen and Brian Shaw since Kurt Rambis left them and became the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the job duties for Cleamons, Hamblen and Shaw have increased, but it's not as though they haven't been faced with this before.

Chicago Bull assistant Jim Cleamons will be hired today as coach of the Dallas Mavericks, the team said Thursday. Kevin Sullivan, a Maverick spokesman, said: "Jim Cleamons will be named as head coach tomorrow at noon. That's about all I can say at this point." Cleamons--who will replace Dick Motta, who was fired last month--declined to confirm the speculation, saying, "I have no comment."

Callers trying to order tickets for Game 7 in Seattle flooded phone lines Friday, briefly knocking out downtown phone service. Twelve exchanges in Seattle lost service at 9 a.m. US West spokesman Harry Grandstrom said that's when TicketMaster opened for business, selling about 1,000 tickets remaining for Sunday's game. It took about 20 minutes to restore service. * Chicago Bull assistant Jim Cleamons was announced as coach of the Dallas Mavericks, replacing Dick Motta, who was fired May 1.

Former Laker assistant coach Jim Cleamons, who came in with the Phil Jackson regime and exited when it splintered, was hired Wednesday by the New Orleans Hornets as an assistant under Byron Scott. Cleamons, 54, began his coaching career in 1989, Jackson's first season with the Chicago Bulls, and he rejoined Jackson in 1999 with the Lakers. He was not selected to be part of the staff when Rudy Tomjanovich became the Laker coach last month.

The Lakers blew a 16-point lead and lost Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals and home-court advantage to the Dallas Mavericks. So how will the Lakers respond in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Staples Center? "Sometimes it's good to have a short-term memory," Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said after practice Tuesday. "Put that disappointment out of your mind and you've got to come to play Wednesday night at 7:30 and you've got to crank it up all over again. " Interestingly enough, Cleamons said, the Lakers had some good stats in Game 1. Dallas shot better (49.4%)

Win Game 6 on Thursday night in New Orleans, or return home for Game 7 at Staples Center on Saturday night. That's what the Lakers are up against. The Lakers know they can close out the stubborn New Orleans Hornets with a victory and advance to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. But if the Lakers lose the game in the best-of-seven series they lead, 3-2, Los Angeles will have to face the Hornets in a winner-take-all final game. "They are not going to go away easy," Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said.

Reporting from New Orleans The goal for the Lakers is to push the New Orleans Hornets to the brink of elimination in the Western Conference first-round playoff series. The goal for the Hornets is to pull even with the Lakers in the best-of-seven series. They are two teams with the same goal, which is to win Game 4 on Sunday night at New Orleans Arena. Only one of them will accomplish that goal. "Sunday's game is the most important game of the series — for both teams," Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said after practice Saturday.

It was a tough night that became a tougher morning for Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons, and it was all caused by New Orleans Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul. "I couldn't sleep Saturday night and I woke up Sunday morning out of a restless sleep and the entire time I was thinking about 'CP' and screen-and-rolls," Cleamons said after practice Tuesday. And how did Cleamons sleep Sunday night after Paul ripped into the Lakers for 33 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds in the Hornets' 109-100 victory in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series?

It's not as though the Lakers' assistant coaches have a portal, accessible only through a cubbyhole in El Segundo, winding into the mind of head Coach Phil Jackson. It only seems that way sometimes. That's perfectly natural when a coaching staff has been together, for the most part, through two franchises (Chicago and Los Angeles), power struggles, championship runs and an earthquake or two. Lakers assistant Frank Hamblen laughed a bit when he was asked whether he often knew what Jackson was going to say before he said it. "We've been together quite a long time," he said.

Bring the energy. Don't leave it in Los Angeles. Don't leave it at Staples Center. Don't leave it in Game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers have been told by their coaching staff they must sustain that intense energy in Game 6 on Friday night in Oklahoma City against the Thunder. The Lakers lead the best-of-seven series, 3-2, and can close out the Thunder with one more victory. Game 7 would be in Los Angeles on Sunday, but if the Lakers bring the right energy Friday night, Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said they will improve their chances of moving on to the next round.

Amid reports that his firing is imminent, Dallas Maverick Coach Jim Cleamons said he felt management still supports him. General Manager Don Nelson would reportedly add coaching duties. Nelson could not be reached for comment. Cleamons, in the second year of a four-year, $5 million contract, admits he expected a better start than 4-12, but he still believes that if everyone is patient, things can eventually turn around. He is 28-70 overall. "It's about evolution," Cleamons said in Dallas.

On the day the Lakers named Jim Cleamons as the first assistant on Phil Jackson's staff, Jackson issued a doubtful prognosis on the potential re-signing of Dennis Rodman. He did not completely close the door to the flamboyant rebounder, but Jackson suggested that perhaps the time had come and gone for the Rodman-Laker relationship, especially after Rodman's nerve-rattling 23-game tenure last season.

It was easy for Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons to draw conclusions Friday once he looked again at the statistics sheet from Thursday's game. He pointed out how in Game 3 the Oklahoma City Thunder had 23 fastbreak points, the Lakers seven. The Thunder shot 34 free throws, the Lakers 12. Thunder rookie reserve James Harden (18 points) outscored the entire Lakers bench (14 points). The Lakers also stopped scoring from inside. The Lakers have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, but Cleamons has some words of caution as Game 4 looms Saturday night.

He smiled and then chuckled, his voice and demeanor suggesting full admiration for his team's opponent. On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder blocked 17 shots against the Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs and forced the Lakers into another miserable shooting night. And for the second straight game, the young Thunder took the more experienced defending NBA champions to the brink. "They have our attention," Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said. "They are a worthy opponent.