Jim Cleamons

James Mitchell Cleamons, born September 13, 1949, is an American former professional basketball player who also worked as a coach in the NBA and at the college and high school levels. He was born in Lincolnton, North Carolina, and grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where he graduated from Linden-McKinley High School in 1967 after playing on an Ohio state championship team there.

Cleamons attended Ohio State University in Columbus, earning a degree in education and playing on the basketball team as a swingman. He played forward as a sophomore and junior before moving to point guard in his senior season of 1970–71. As team captain in 1971, he led the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship and a 20–6 overall record. In the 1971 NCAA tournament, Ohio State defeated Marquette in the regional semifinals but lost to Western Kentucky in overtime in the regional finals, finishing the season ranked 10th in the nation by the Associated Press. Over three years he averaged 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

As a coach, Cleamons served as an assistant on nine National Basketball Association championship teams.