Jim Cleamons was a first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971. He played in the NBA until 1980 and has spent the past 40 years coaching the game at just about every level.
On Wednesday night, the former NBA swingman is heading to Lompoc High.
Cleamons is hosting an instructional and motivational session at 6:30 p.m. in the Lompoc High library. The event is sponsored by J-SMOOV and hosted by the Lompoc High girls basketball program.
Cleamons, a 6-foot-3 guard, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 13th overall pick and spent the 1971-72 season with LA. He then played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Washington Bullets.
After retiring in 1980, Cleamons was an assistant at Furman and Ohio State before taking over the Youngstown State program from 1987-89. He was then an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls from 1989-96, winning four NBA titles. He was named head coach with the Dallas Mavericks for the 1996-97 season before serving as an assistant with the Los Angeles from 199-2004 and 2006-11.
He also served as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks and was an assistant at Yeshiva University of Los Angeles.
Cleamons won an NBA title in ’72 with the Lakers and was an assistant coach on nine NBA champion teams.
He played 652 games in the NBA, averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists in his career.
Cleamons plans on talking about communication, leadership and the teaching techniques he used while coaching Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame members Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd.
Santa Maria Elks Hoop Shoot
The Santa Maria Elks Lodge No. 1538 will be hosting its annual basketball Hoop Shoot on Sunday, Dec. 19 at the Minami Community Center, located 600 West Enos Drive in Santa Maria. Anyone wishing to participate must be accompanied by a parent.
Registrations will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:15 with competition starting at 10:30 a.m.. Tie-breakers will be determined at end of shoot. Awards will be given to the first-, second-, and third-place winners at a dinner held at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge.
The event is open to the public at no charge and is sponsored by the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks of the USA. Endorsed by hundreds of school systems around the country, this competition offers boys and girls the opportunity to compete at the local level with the chance to move on to the District level; and possibly, the State, Regional, and National Levels. The Elks funds this program primarily through its National Foundation and the support of its local lodges and state associations.
Over three million youngsters throughout the country have entered this competition for boys and girls in the following age categories: 8-9, 10-11; and 12-13. Contestants’ age group will be determined by their age as of April 1, 2022. Each contestant will have 25 shots at the hoop. The boy and girl from each age group with the best score will then advance to the district event at the Minami Community Center here in Santa Maria on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022.
Volunteers are always welcomed. For more information, please contact Eddie Navarro, local Hoop Shoot chairman, at (805) 720-3581.