Gentry Names Clipper Assistants

When Alvin Gentry was named the Clippers’ new coach earlier this month, he was given the option of retaining any of the assistants from last season.

On Thursday, Gentry did just that when he named Dennis Johnson and Rex Kalamian assistants along with John Hammond, a Clipper assistant from 1990-93.

Jim Todd, who finished last season as the Clippers’ interim coach, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who joined the team as an assistant last season, will not return.

“All three assistants are good basketball minds who know the game,” Gentry said. “We will be an enthusiastic and young staff which will be great with our core of young players.”

For Johnson, a candidate for head coach throughout the search, working under Gentry will not be a problem. Johnson, who coached the Clippers’ summer league team, said he’s glad everything is settled and the Clippers can now get ready for training camp, which will begin Oct. 3 at College of the Desert in Palm Desert.

“All of the stuff that I did only gave me more experience as a coach,” Johnson said. “The main thing to me is I wanted to be here. I wanted to be a part of something that I believe has a good future.

“The talent is going to have to rise and show what they can do in two years. People will have to be patient because we’re going to have a young team.”

Hammond is familiar with Gentry, having been a Clipper assistant with him under Mike Schuler during the 1990-91 season. He comes to the Clippers from the University of Missouri, where he spent one season coaching current Clipper rookie Keyon Dooling.

This will be Kalamian’s fourth season as a Clipper assistant.