Chris Jent
Christopher Jent | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 11, 1970 Orange, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball coach, former player |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | Associate head coach for the New York Knicks; former NBA player and coach |
Christopher Matthew Jent (born January 11, 1970) is a former professional basketball player and current coach from the United States, presently serving as the associate head coach for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His coaching resume includes a head coaching role with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League as well as an assistant coaching position with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Early life and college career
Born in Orange, California and raised in Sparta, New Jersey, Jent attended Sparta High School (New Jersey). He then played collegiate basketball at Ohio State University for four years, concluding his college career in 1992.
Professional playing career
Although not selected in the 1992 NBA draft, Jent was picked 50th overall in the 1992 draft of the CBA. His professional journey began with the CBA teams Rapid City Thrillers and Columbus Horizon, where he earned recognition on the CBA All-Rookie First Team in 1993.
Jent's NBA tenure was brief, featuring three games each with the Houston Rockets—with whom he won an NBA championship in 1994—and later with the New York Knicks during the 1996–97 season. Interestingly, he participated in 11 playoff games in 1994, surpassing his total regular-season NBA appearances. Between these NBA engagements, Jent played abroad in Australia's NBL for the North Melbourne Giants in 1995, as well as competing professionally in Italy's Serie A, Spain's Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto, and Greece's A1 Ethniki league.
Philadelphia 76ers (2003–2004)
During the 2003–04 season, Jent worked as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Orlando Magic (2004–2005)
He moved to the Orlando Magic as an assistant coach for the subsequent season. Midway through that year, following Johnny Davis’s dismissal, Jent was appointed interim head coach for the final 18 games of the 2004–05 NBA season, finishing with a 5–13 record. Brian Hill succeeded him at the start of the following season.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2006–2011)
Beginning in November 2006, Jent took on dual responsibilities as Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Cavaliers, notably serving as LeBron James’ personal shooting coach during this period.
Ohio State (2011–2013)
On June 29, 2011, Jent returned to his alma mater, joining Ohio State as an assistant coach under head coach Thad Matta, contributing to the development of the Buckeyes men's basketball program.
Sacramento Kings (2013–2014)
Jent was named assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings on June 10, 2013. His tenure ended on December 16, 2014, when he was relieved of his coaching duties.
Bakersfield Jam (2015–2016)
In 2015, Jent assumed head coaching responsibilities for the Bakersfield Jam, following their previous coach’s transition to a player development role with the Phoenix Suns.
Return to Ohio State (2016–2017)
After completing the 2015–16 season, Jent rejoined Ohio State’s coaching staff as an assistant coach.
Atlanta Hawks (2017–2022)
For the 2017–18 NBA season, Jent became part of the Atlanta Hawks' coaching team as an assistant coach.
Los Angeles Lakers (2022–2024)
On September 27, 2022, Jent was appointed as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Charlotte Hornets (2024–2025)
During the 2024 offseason, Jent joined the coaching staff of Charles Lee as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets. In 2025, he guided the Hornets to an undefeated 6-0 record and secured the title at the 2025 NBA Summer League, overcoming the Sacramento Kings with a final score of 83-78.
New York Knicks (2025–present)
On August 8, 2025, Jent was promoted to associate head coach by the New York Knicks, working alongside head coach Mike Brown.
Regular season
|- |style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|† |align="left" | Houston | 3 || 0 || 26.0 || .500 || .364 || .500 || 5.0 || 2.3 || .0 || .0 || 10.3 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | New York | 3 || 0 || 3.3 || .333 || .667 || – || .3 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 6 || 0 || 14.7 || .469 || .429 || .500 || 2.7 || 1.3 || .0 || .0 || 6.2
Playoffs
|- |style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|1994† |align="left" | Houston | 11 || 0 || 5.6 || .250 || .231 || – || .8 || .6 || .2 || .0 || 1.2
Head coaching record
|- | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | style="text-align:left;"| |18||5||13|||| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Southeast||—||—||—||— | style="text-align:center;"|Did Not Qualify for Playoffs |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;"|Career | ||18||5||13|||| ||—||—||—||—