Bucks assistant coach Jim Cleamons and Knicks guard Shannon Brown sat and reminisced by the visitor’s bench before Milwaukee faced the Knicks at the Garden on Saturday.
Cleamons has won nine championship rings as an assistant coach with Phil Jackson in Chicago and Los Angeles, leading to the possibility he will be summoned to the Garden to interview for a head coach or assistant coach position this offseason with his former boss the new Knicks team president.
Brown and Cleamons were together for two Lakers titles and both likely would love to be part of this Jackson revival in New York next season.
Cleamons was leery of speaking at length about Jackson since he already has been linked to the Knicks. Cleamons played two seasons for legendary Knicks coach Red Holzman as a point guard from 1977-79 and was Jackson’s teammate.
“Phil is bright. He understands the game. He’s going to put good people around him,’’ Cleamons said. “That’s my feeling. I know nothing else.’’
Cleamons was close with former Bulls and Lakers assistant Tex Winter, who brought the Triangle offense into Jackson’s coaching life.
“I know the offense, but I don’t know what his plans are,’’ Cleamons said of Jackson trying to hire a coach who runs the Triangle. “I’m worried about the Milwaukee Bucks. You have to ask Phil that question.’’
During training camp, Cleamons told the Milwaukee Journal, “I watched Tex’s influence on Phil and on what we did as a basketball team. … He didn’t care if it was Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, good basketball is good basketball.’’
Cleamons had one crack at a head job in Dallas in the mid-1990s and got embroiled in a difficult situation with feuding players involving Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn. Cleamons went 24-58 in 1996-97 and was fired early the next season.
“He tried it in Dallas,’’ Brown told The Post. “It wasn’t what he expected. He’s kept getting better. He’s capable of being a head coach, I really do believe that.’’
Brown believes if there is a coaching change, the Triangle could be coming to Madison Square Garden.
“I’m sure that’s what’s worked for him,’’ Brown said. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Triangle has won a lot of championships.’’