F Chris Jent (official thread)

[LitlBuck]

Beck when Chris was in high school, I followed basketball recruiting very closely and the one thing that Chris was noted for was that he was one of the best perimeter shooters in the entire country.

It is also nice to know that he still hates sCum.

[Buckskin86]

Jent is behind James' jumper
By Chris Beaven
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted May 02, 2009

No one ever questioned LeBron James? ability to score. He averaged 20 points a game as a rookie and was at 31 a game by his third season with the Cavs.

What has been a work in progress, though, has been his ability to shoot the basketball. Through his own hard work and some coaching from Chris Jent, James is seeing vast improvement in that part of his game.

?Shooting is a very delicate thing,? Jent said. ?It?s a tough thing. It?s a confidence, slash, ego thing. To allow someone to help you with that, you really got to let your guard down.?

Jent has gained James? trust during the past three seasons as a Cavs assistant coach.

?After the first year, that summer was when we really got to work,? said Jent, an outstanding shooter at Ohio State who played 10 years of pro ball, including two seasons in the NBA.

James told Jent he wanted to improve his shooting. Jent?s message was simple: ?Well, you?ve got to work at it.?

That has resulted in James taking thousands of shots in practices and offseason workouts.

?He?s worked hard to change a lot of things on his shot,? Jent said. ?His balance, his form. All last summer was all form shooting.

?Things have changed. He shoots the ball very differently. I think he distributes his weight much better now. And that?s allowed him to be better off the dribble.?

James shot a career-best 48.9 percent from the floor this season. He made a career-high 132 3-pointers. Take away his 1-for-19 start this season shooting the 3 and James would?ve shot a career-best 35.9 percent from beyond the arc.

?Becoming a great shooter is (about) shooting the same shot,? Jent said. ?It?s allowing yourself and (having) the confidence in your own shooting ability to no matter what, make or miss, the next shot you take, you take the same shot.?

Jent is behind James' jumper - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com

[Buckskin86]

James' offseason: Stretch, lift, shoot
by Terry Pluto
Friday July 03, 2009

For LeBron James, the journey to repeat as the NBA's Most Valuable Player begins Monday morning.

That's when the Cavs star will meet assistant coach Chris Jent at the team's practice facility in Independence.

"LeBron is driven to win a championship," said Jent. "Most people have no idea how hard he works. He wanted to start last week, but I told him to rest his body. Let's start after July 4th."


James will begin his day by meeting assistant trainer Mike Mancias. Sometimes, they lift weights. Sometimes, it's yoga. It always involves some stretching.

"Six days a week, LeBron does some sort of workout, that's not counting his shooting drills," said Jent. "They do things to help his flexibility and balance. LeBron also has his own chef. He is extremely serious about being a better player."

They will then begin 90 minutes of shooting drills. Most of the shots will come from 14-to-19 feet. They begin with six different spots on the court, but also at different ranges.

Then they come back at night, for more shooting.

"From now on, he'll shoot at least once a day, probably six days a week," said Jent. "Sometimes, it will be twice a day."

James is starting his seventh season, yet he's only 24.

Jent said it was after the Cavs were swept out of the 2007 Finals that James pushed his training to a higher, more demanding level. A former sharp-shooter at Ohio State, Jent had joined the Cavs as an assistant during the 2006-07 season.

Jent often played 3-on-3 with some of the Cavs reserves after practices or before games when they wanted extra work. James watched Jent swish shots over younger players. Daniel Gibson told James that Jent knew a lot about shooting.

So James asked Jent if the coach would be willing to work with the Cavs star in the summer of 2007.

"I like Chris and I trust Chris," James has often said.

Jent knows that James doesn't trust most people, especially with something as important as tinkering with his jumper.

"To a player, a shot is his signature," said Jent. "It's not easy for them to change it."

James' offseason: Stretch, lift, shoot - cleveland.com