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MiamiRedHawks
Junior
awesome. absolutely loved watching jent back in the day... hope he does well with my cavaliers!
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TheStoicPaisano
But I didn't, so it doesn't
It was kind of surreal filling out a survey for him in a communication class. Having class with players--routine. But with a coach? Best part was he was just wearing a T and shorts like everyone else.
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Former Ohio State forward/guard Chris Jent was named Cavs director of player development/assistant coach. Jent, 36, was an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic during the 2004-05 season before being named Orlando's interim head coach for the final 18 games of the season. Before his one year stint with the Magic, he spent the 2003-04 season with the 76ers as assistant coach/player development.
Signed:
Former Ohio State forward/guard Chris Jent was named Cavs director of player development/assistant coach. Jent, 36, was an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic during the 2004-05 season before being named Orlando's interim head coach for the final 18 games of the season. Before his one year stint with the Magic, he spent the 2003-04 season with the 76ers as assistant coach/player development.
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Where Are They Now? Chris Jent
Monday, December 4, 2006
By VERN MILLER JR.
Herald Sports Writer
It wasn't much, but when Chris Jent saw a chance, he took it.
It meant leaving his family and following a road he hoped would lead him back to where he belonged ? the National Basketball Association.
There was no job offer, not even the promise of any compensation.
Just a chance to come to Cleveland, stay at a hotel and chase basketballs at Cavalier training camp.
"I got a call from Cav's head coach Mike Brown, who I had never met before, on the evening of Oct. 2," said Jent, a 1998 Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame inductee. "They needed an extra rebounder at training camp and were looking to bring somebody in for a couple of weeks. I had to choose that night, to decide if I wanted to go to Cleveland, or not.
"It was an opportunity to meet and network with people in the league, so I said okay."
The decision was not an easy one for Jent, nor wife, Alice, who would remain in Columbus, Ohio with their two children, Jimmy and Corrin.
Jent graduated in August from Ohio State with a degree in Communications ,and was considering several job opportunities in the area, as well as pursuing a Masters degree.
The former OSU standout, who starred on the court for the Buckeyes from 1988-92, had returned to complete his studies, while serving as a "life counselor" to players on the OSU basketball team.
The all-time leading scorer in Sussex and Morris Counties with 2,287 points, earned an NBA championship ring in 1994 with the Houston Rockets, the highlight of a 10-year professional career.
After a season as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2003-04, Jent served as an assistant with the Orlando Magic the following season.
When Magic head coach Johnny Davis was released, Jent, called "a crown jewel of the coaching staff," was named interim head coach, but was given an impossibly-short tenure of only 18 games to shine.
Now 36, he found himself on the outside looking-in, at the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of NBA employment.
So when he was contacted by Brown, he took a shot a resurrecting his NBA coaching career.
Jent spent his first three days at Cavalier camp as a rebounder, defender and passer, helping to run drills after sitting-in at daily coaches meetings.
NBA rules permit a maximum of only three hours per-day practice time, so with 19 players in training camp, it's imperative that workouts flow smoothly and quickly.
Jent's toughest chore was learning the terminology used in the Cavalier system.
"You have to learn how to use the correct terminology in a hurry," Jent said. "It took me four or five days to feel comfortable and to be able to teach the system properly.
"You move along, but for a few days, everyone but me and the rookies knew what was happening."
Three days into his stay, Jent was told by Cav assistant coach Hank Egan that his hard work had made a great impression within the organization.
He was now being considered for a permanent position on the Cavaliers' staff.
"I was pretty excited that things had already moved to the 'job interview' stage," Jent said. "I got more aggressive in getting guys to stick around and work on things after team practice was over.
"I didn't give guys a chance to get into the locker room, because once they do, it's all over."
Jent worked with players already on the roster, and those in camp with little chance of making the team.
He taught proper movement throughout the offensive scheme, with and without the ball, presenting different scoring options available to players within the system.
While the college game emphasizes on-court teaching, most NBA instruction comes through film study.
He encouraged younger players to work with him before and after practice, knowing that once they had established the routine, chances were good the players would continue to maintain a rigorous schedule.
Jent believes if an attitude of working hard before and after practice is created, young players will make it a part of their job.
"In the NBA, your 'property' is your game," Jent said. "Most NBA players won't think about working on something until after it's broken. You need to sell the concept to players that they should. In the NBA you have to justify what you're teaching in order for players to buy into it.
"There are some bigger egos, but everyone really wants to learn and improve ? you just have to sell it a little more in the NBA than in college."
As a coach, Jent has learned how to teach, relying on solid people-skills to formulate a winning approach to players while never forgetting that each player learns differently.
In an environment where respect is hard-earned, it doesn't hurt having an NBA championship ring on your finger to promote your credibility.
On Nov. 1, the Cavaliers announced that Jent had been named Director of Player Development and had earned a full-time assistant job on Brown's staff.
As Director of Player Development, Jent is charged with charting each player's particular areas of development, both on and off the court.
He assesses their individual skills in every facet of the game, everything from their attentiveness in film study to their interactions with teammates.
Jent sees the job as a chance to help young players grow and flourish.
While the Cavs' roster features veterans Eric Snow, who Jent coached with the Sixers and Donyell Marshall and David Wesley, who he competed against, youth is definitely served in their lineup.
Seven Cavaliers have four years or less NBA experience, and while the team has been up-and-down to start the 2006 season, the future's so bright they've got to wear shades.
With the best young player in the NBA, LeBron James, in the lineup, the Cavs have a shot in every game.
"LeBron's talent level is just through the roof, the sky's the limit," Jent said. "Not only is he so gifted physically, he's very intelligent and is very receptive to learning. But he's a very young man with an awful lot of pressure on him to succeed. You see him sitting at a table with rookies Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown and Dwayne Jones, who's been in the league for a year, and you just shake your head.
"Dwayne's the oldest guy of the four and he's 22."
While Jent is "very comfortable" to be back in the NBA, he is having a harder time adjusting to not having Alice and his children with him for the first time in his professional basketball career.
But in an effort to create a more stable environment for their school-age son, Alice has remained in Columbus, while Jent lives in Cleveland.
"Alice has the really hard job," Jent said. "I'm working 13-14 hours a-day, but she's working full time in addition to taking care of the kids, a 24-hour commitment. I'm so thankful to her for giving me a chance to get back into the game. I've been in the game a long time and you grow and learn so much from each new coach. We have a great staff here and I just love being around the game itself.
"I guess you could say I'm a basketball junkie."
Where Are They Now? Chris Jent
Monday, December 4, 2006
By VERN MILLER JR.
Herald Sports Writer
It wasn't much, but when Chris Jent saw a chance, he took it.
It meant leaving his family and following a road he hoped would lead him back to where he belonged ? the National Basketball Association.
There was no job offer, not even the promise of any compensation.
Just a chance to come to Cleveland, stay at a hotel and chase basketballs at Cavalier training camp.
"I got a call from Cav's head coach Mike Brown, who I had never met before, on the evening of Oct. 2," said Jent, a 1998 Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame inductee. "They needed an extra rebounder at training camp and were looking to bring somebody in for a couple of weeks. I had to choose that night, to decide if I wanted to go to Cleveland, or not.
"It was an opportunity to meet and network with people in the league, so I said okay."
The decision was not an easy one for Jent, nor wife, Alice, who would remain in Columbus, Ohio with their two children, Jimmy and Corrin.
Jent graduated in August from Ohio State with a degree in Communications ,and was considering several job opportunities in the area, as well as pursuing a Masters degree.
The former OSU standout, who starred on the court for the Buckeyes from 1988-92, had returned to complete his studies, while serving as a "life counselor" to players on the OSU basketball team.
The all-time leading scorer in Sussex and Morris Counties with 2,287 points, earned an NBA championship ring in 1994 with the Houston Rockets, the highlight of a 10-year professional career.
After a season as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2003-04, Jent served as an assistant with the Orlando Magic the following season.
When Magic head coach Johnny Davis was released, Jent, called "a crown jewel of the coaching staff," was named interim head coach, but was given an impossibly-short tenure of only 18 games to shine.
Now 36, he found himself on the outside looking-in, at the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of NBA employment.
So when he was contacted by Brown, he took a shot a resurrecting his NBA coaching career.
Jent spent his first three days at Cavalier camp as a rebounder, defender and passer, helping to run drills after sitting-in at daily coaches meetings.
NBA rules permit a maximum of only three hours per-day practice time, so with 19 players in training camp, it's imperative that workouts flow smoothly and quickly.
Jent's toughest chore was learning the terminology used in the Cavalier system.
"You have to learn how to use the correct terminology in a hurry," Jent said. "It took me four or five days to feel comfortable and to be able to teach the system properly.
"You move along, but for a few days, everyone but me and the rookies knew what was happening."
Three days into his stay, Jent was told by Cav assistant coach Hank Egan that his hard work had made a great impression within the organization.
He was now being considered for a permanent position on the Cavaliers' staff.
"I was pretty excited that things had already moved to the 'job interview' stage," Jent said. "I got more aggressive in getting guys to stick around and work on things after team practice was over.
"I didn't give guys a chance to get into the locker room, because once they do, it's all over."
Jent worked with players already on the roster, and those in camp with little chance of making the team.
He taught proper movement throughout the offensive scheme, with and without the ball, presenting different scoring options available to players within the system.
While the college game emphasizes on-court teaching, most NBA instruction comes through film study.
He encouraged younger players to work with him before and after practice, knowing that once they had established the routine, chances were good the players would continue to maintain a rigorous schedule.
Jent believes if an attitude of working hard before and after practice is created, young players will make it a part of their job.
"In the NBA, your 'property' is your game," Jent said. "Most NBA players won't think about working on something until after it's broken. You need to sell the concept to players that they should. In the NBA you have to justify what you're teaching in order for players to buy into it.
"There are some bigger egos, but everyone really wants to learn and improve ? you just have to sell it a little more in the NBA than in college."
As a coach, Jent has learned how to teach, relying on solid people-skills to formulate a winning approach to players while never forgetting that each player learns differently.
In an environment where respect is hard-earned, it doesn't hurt having an NBA championship ring on your finger to promote your credibility.
On Nov. 1, the Cavaliers announced that Jent had been named Director of Player Development and had earned a full-time assistant job on Brown's staff.
As Director of Player Development, Jent is charged with charting each player's particular areas of development, both on and off the court.
He assesses their individual skills in every facet of the game, everything from their attentiveness in film study to their interactions with teammates.
Jent sees the job as a chance to help young players grow and flourish.
While the Cavs' roster features veterans Eric Snow, who Jent coached with the Sixers and Donyell Marshall and David Wesley, who he competed against, youth is definitely served in their lineup.
Seven Cavaliers have four years or less NBA experience, and while the team has been up-and-down to start the 2006 season, the future's so bright they've got to wear shades.
With the best young player in the NBA, LeBron James, in the lineup, the Cavs have a shot in every game.
"LeBron's talent level is just through the roof, the sky's the limit," Jent said. "Not only is he so gifted physically, he's very intelligent and is very receptive to learning. But he's a very young man with an awful lot of pressure on him to succeed. You see him sitting at a table with rookies Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown and Dwayne Jones, who's been in the league for a year, and you just shake your head.
"Dwayne's the oldest guy of the four and he's 22."
While Jent is "very comfortable" to be back in the NBA, he is having a harder time adjusting to not having Alice and his children with him for the first time in his professional basketball career.
But in an effort to create a more stable environment for their school-age son, Alice has remained in Columbus, while Jent lives in Cleveland.
"Alice has the really hard job," Jent said. "I'm working 13-14 hours a-day, but she's working full time in addition to taking care of the kids, a 24-hour commitment. I'm so thankful to her for giving me a chance to get back into the game. I've been in the game a long time and you grow and learn so much from each new coach. We have a great staff here and I just love being around the game itself.
"I guess you could say I'm a basketball junkie."
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Derek1990
Newbie
I'm so happy Chris is back to basketball. I saw him playing all the games in the last team he played in Italy. He didn't have a good year but when he left I knew that a great person was leaving the team. It's nice for me to read that he has fans where he played college basketball. Good luck Chris.
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OSU_Buckguy
Head Coach
Lebron serious about his shot
ohio.com
ohio.com
much to the chagrin of management, chris will probably also teach him how to dive for loose balls.
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Buckskin86
Moderator
Jent has gotten some credit for Lebron's improved shot...
LeBron James' game has grown along with his physique - Chris Ballard - SI.com
Daily Dime: LeBron shows his range - NBA - ESPN
LeBron James' game has grown along with his physique - Chris Ballard - SI.com
Daily Dime: LeBron shows his range - NBA - ESPN
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sparcboxbuck
What happened to my ¤cash?
Buckskin86;1408230; said:
I'm hardly a fan of the pumpkin ball, but I will say that when I had the opportunity for season tickets as a student, I didn't pass it up. And watching Jent play was a real treat. That guy was just so much fun to watch. The minutes he was on the floor you could see the rest of the team bring up their intensity to the next level. Just electric.
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Buckskin86
Moderator
In him LeBron trusts
Basketball has carried ex-Buckeye Chris Jent and his family around the world to his role as coach and confidant to the Cavs' superstar, but the trip has been far from smooth
Sunday, March 15, 2009
By Mike Wagner
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
KYLE ROBERTSON | DISPATCH
Chris Jent watches LeBron James shoot before a Cavaliers' game at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The assistant coach's relationship with James extends beyond games to late-night practice sessions and off-season time.
CHRIS RUSSELL | DISPATCH
Jent shoots over Michigan's Chris Webber during an OSU game at St. John Arena in March 1992. Webber was Jent's nemesis that year.
KYLE ROBERTSON | DISPATCH
Chris Jent and his dad, Arnie. Arnie Jent routinely drove more than 1,000 miles to watch Chris' games when he played for Ohio State.
LeBron James was in the practice gym, but most eyes, including those of the basketball king, were on the man with the pure, effortless shooting stroke.
The new guy for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, the one who rarely missed a three-point shot, wasn't even a player.
But he had something James wanted.
That something always seemed natural to Chris Jent, from his days playing neighborhood hoops in his small New Jersey town to games in Ohio State's St. John Arena to stops in countless steamy gyms on three continents.
"Seeing the way he could shoot the basketball, I thought 'maybe you could help my shot look like yours,' " James said. "From there, I gravitated to his work ethic, his honesty and genuine personality."
Jent endeared himself to Buckeyes fans with constant floor burns and a soft shooting touch as a player from 1988 to 1992, and he has done the same for the Cavs with his basketball IQ and passion.
But Jent's route to Cleveland was rarely smooth. It took him on a grueling tour of small European towns and offered the thrill of playing for a championship NBA team.
He is torn between duty and family. Basketball -- and his relationship with LeBron James in particular -- has at times caused tension at home.
The native of Sparta, N.J., became director of player development for the Cavs in 2006 and is a full-time assistant coach for the team tied for the NBA's best record.
He works tirelessly with all of the Cavaliers, and like other assistant coaches, he scouts opponents and sometimes runs team huddles during games.
But his relationship with James, one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, extends far beyond his normal duties, late into most nights during the season and much of the off-season.
"In my situation, it's hard to trust people, but I trust Chris, and there is just this vibe between us," James said.
James' shooting has steadily improved, but Jent shrugs off credit for helping make the league's potential MVP even better.
"The amount of time he has put into being a better shooter is unreal," Jent said. "You can't imagine how hard he works at this. During the summer, it's just us alone in the gym with no other bull. He puts a lot of trust in me and I work hard for him. He's so young, but just having an honest relationship with someone appeals to him and I."
The Columbus Dispatch : In him LeBron trusts
The Columbus Dispatch : index
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