Cliff Clinkscales
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Clifford Clinkscales (born March 11, 1984) is an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
assistant coach for the
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of the
National Basketball League of Canada The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada; french: Ligue nationale de basketball du Canada) is a Canadian professional men's minor league basketball organization. The NBL Canada was founded in 2011, when three existing Premier Basketb ...
(NBL Canada) and a former player. A point guard, Clinkscales began playing professionally in 2008, with two seasons in the NBA Development League (NBA D-League). He spent most of his professional career in NBL Canada, playing from 2013 to 2020 in Halifax for the Rainmen and the
Hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
. With the Halifax Hurricanes, he set the record for the most career assists in NBL Canada history. A native of Jamaica, Queens, in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, Clinkscales rose to prominence as a basketball player at a young age, drawing attention from coaches around the country. After his freshman year at
Springfield Gardens High School Springfield Gardens High School was a public 4–year high school located in the Springfield Gardens section in the New York City borough of Queens. The school was opened in 1965. Closed in 2007, The Springfield Gardens High School building is now ...
, he transferred to Shores Christian Academy in Ocala, Florida, where his team won the National Association of Christian Athletes title. He was rated as a three-star recruit, and several major
college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
programs showed interest in him. Clinkscales played college basketball for the
DePaul Blue Demons The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent DePaul University, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and are a member of the Big East Conference. DePaul’s Athletic Director is DeWayne P ...
from 2004 to 2008. He averaged 8.3 points per game in his first season in college while also becoming the fifth freshman in DePaul history to record 100 assists in a season. Although most of his statistics stagnated in his remaining years in college and his scoring average dropped, he led NCAA Division I in assist-to- turnover ratio as a senior. Clinkscales was selected in the 2008 NBA Development League Draft by the Erie BayHawks, where he played most of his D-League career. After a three-year hiatus and one season in the American Basketball League with the Panama City Breeze, he began his NBL Canada career. In NBL Canada, he was an NBL Canada All-Star in 2014 and won the league
championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
as a member of the Halifax Hurricanes in 2016. Following his retirement in 2020, he returned to the league as an assistant coach in 2021.


Early life

Born on March 11, 1984, Cliff Clinkscales was brought up in Jamaica, Queens, with three siblings. He was raised by his mother and a family friend, Clarence Washington. Washington introduced a young Clinkscales to the game of basketball; Clinkscales' sister, Kima, taught him to
dribble In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score. A ...
. Shortly before entering fifth grade, in the summer of 1996, Clinkscales, standing , was noticed in an ABCD Camp in
Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) f ...
.The camp was designed for college-level basketball hopefuls.


High school career

Despite achieving distinction at a young age, Clinkscales soon fell out of the public view. He spent one year in
Springfield Gardens High School Springfield Gardens High School was a public 4–year high school located in the Springfield Gardens section in the New York City borough of Queens. The school was opened in 1965. Closed in 2007, The Springfield Gardens High School building is now ...
in Queens, but poor grades prevented him from playing basketball there. The next year, he transferred to Shores Christian Academy in Ocala, Florida.< He switched schools because he wanted to improve his academic performance, and one of his friends knew the new school's basketball coach, Allan Adams. At Shores Christian Academy, Clinkscales became a top player on the basketball team, averaging 21 points and 12 assists during his senior year. On January 3, 2004, he recorded 24 points and 8 assists, including a
layup A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump s ...
with four seconds left in the game, to defeat Trinity Catholic by one point. In another contest that month, Clinkscales notched 31 points and 11 assists in a triple-overtime loss to Gainesville High School, the top-ranked team at the Diamondback Challenge tournament. In the Florida Christian Athletic League's south quarterfinals, he had 40 points and 14 assists as his team beat Ocala Word of Faith by a 100–32 margin. In the district title contest, he scored 26 points, with 15 assists, 6
rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
, and 3 steals. Clinkscales's team won the National Association of Christian Athletes championship behind a 36-win season, and he was named the ''Ocala Star-Banner'' boys' basketball player of the year. The low competition level at Ocala prevented Clinkscales from drawing national attention. He was, however, in the spotlight playing for the Atlanta Celtics, an
Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...
(AAU) program made up of players such as
Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League. He is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team honoree, five-time All-Defensive Team ...
,
Josh Smith Joshua Smith (born December 5, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Entering the NBA straight out of high school, Smith played nine seasons with the Atlant ...
, and Randolph Morris. He joined the team because they needed a reliable point guard. The Celtics won the Adidas Big Time Tournament, sparking coaches' interest in Clinkscales once again. Basketball news website The Hoop Scoop named Clinkscales the 47th-best high school player in his class as he entered college. He was rated a three-star recruit by both
Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
and 247Sports.com.


College career

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one o ...
,
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
, and
University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
were among the schools that showed an interest in Clinkscales as he approached college. He made multiple unofficial visits to
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, which was his first choice; however, the team did not offer him an
athletic scholarship An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the United ...
because of his low test scores. Once he improved his scores, Clinkscales caught the attention of more schools, including
Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...
and St. John's University in his hometown. On May 7, 2004, Clinkscales announced his decision to play for the DePaul Blue Demons, noting that it would soon be a part of the
Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
, which provided him the opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden. The school's urban environment also prompted his decision. Blue Demons head coach Dave Leitao praised the new signee, saying, "Cliff is a true point guard who brings speed, athleticism, and quickness that we will need in our program."


Freshman

On November 20, 2004, Clinkscales made his collegiate debut with the Blue Demons by scoring one point and recording two assists in 14 minutes against . He soon became popular among DePaul basketball fans, and was nicknamed "The Colonel". On December 6, Clinkscales helped DePaul defeat with 7 points and a team-high 12 assists. Clinkscales commented about his style of play, "The best thing I can do is pass. I really don't have to look at them (my team members). I just tell them to be ready." On December 18 he put up 13 assists, along with 7 points and 3 steals, to help beat . It was Clinkscales' first career start, as he substituted for Drake Diener. In a win over on January 2, 2005, he replaced Sammy Mejía and scored nine points for his best scoring performance of the season. Clinkscales recorded six assists and a season-high four rebounds in the contest. He closed the season averaging 2.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 0.9 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. Clinkscales finished the season with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.31, the third-best in Conference USA and the best on his team. He became the fifth DePaul freshman ever to break the 100-assist barrier.


Sophomore

In Clinkscales' sophomore season, DePaul moved from Conference USA to the Big East Conference and hired Jerry Wainwright as head coach. Clinkscales debuted in a 60–75 loss to
Bradley Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...
on November 19, 2005. He scored three points and passed for a team-high six assists but also had five turnovers. Clinkscales scored a then-career-best 11 points, as well as four assists and no turnovers, on December 31 vs. . He made two
three-pointer A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two poi ...
s and five
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
s in the game, both of which would be season highs. On January 21, 2006, Clinkscales had a season-best six assists in a one-point loss to . Despite spending 38 minutes on the court, he only attempted four
field goals A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
. For the season, he averaged 3.2 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.


Junior

As a junior, Clinkscales regressed statistically in minutes per game and in his averages for points, assists, and rebounds. He played four minutes in DePaul's season-opening loss to Bradley on November 11, 2006, but recorded no statistics. On November 17, in a win against , Clinkscales finished with a season-high three steals. He recorded his first point on November 20, posting two points and three assists in 13 minutes off the bench vs.
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
at the
Maui Invitational Tournament The Maui Invitational, currently known as the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, is an annual early-season college basketball tournament that takes place Thanksgiving week, normally in Lahaina, Hawaii, at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui. ...
. In the following round of the event, in a victory over Chaminade, he had two steals and a season-best 13 assists. Clinkscales came off the bench against at the
Ryan Center Ryan Center is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Kingston, Rhode Island. The arena opened as a replacement for Keaney Gymnasium, which was built in 1953 for the needs of a much smaller student population at URI. It is home to the University o ...
to score six points, the most in the season, on December 16. He replicated the scoring feat on December 29 vs. , along with nine assists. His team ended up defeating their opponents by 30 points, also pushed by a 40-point performance by Sammy Mejía. Following an early loss at the
2007 National Invitation Tournament The 2007 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams which did not participate in the 2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The West Virgi ...
(NIT), he capped the season playing 12 minutes per game and averaging 1.4 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 rebounds per contest.


Senior

Heading into the following season, the Blue Demons lacked both leadership and talent at the point guard position. Clinkscales hoped to assume the role as a leader, saying, "I think that's my job. I'm going to do that, regardless 40 minutes or two minutes. I'm going to try to help the guys out, from the bench or on the court." His development impressed Jerry Wainwright, who became more comfortable with giving him more playing time. Clinkscales began his final season at DePaul with a 12-point loss to on November 9, 2007. After playing 21 minutes off the bench, he had five points, two assists, two turnovers, and a season-high three steals. Heading into late December, in the midst of multiple injuries to his teammates, Clinkscales played more and frequently appeared in the Blue Demons' starting lineup. On January 3, 2008, while playing a career-high 39 minutes against Villanova, he scored a season-best 12 points and added eight assists with two turnovers. Clinkscales was effective once again in his team's January 16 rematch with Villanova, as he finished with 11 assists – the most he would record as a senior. Despite his passing efforts, the team was unable to beat the Wildcats, and lost 69–76. Against on February 23, Clinkscales led his team with eight assists and two steals. He faced Notre Dame on March 2, having eight assists, four rebounds, and one turnover. As his senior season ended, he was averaging 3.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 25.9 minutes per game. He led NCAA Division I with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.62.


College statistics

:''Cited from
RealGM RealGM.com is a sports website created in 2000. The site was originally a basketball site, but has since expanded its scope to provide information about American football, baseball, ice hockey and soccer. According to Alexa, the site ranked in th ...
'' , - , style="text-align:left;", 2004–05 , style="text-align:left;", DePaul , 31 , , 2 , , 15.0 , , .324 , , .048 , , .680 , , 0.4 , , 3.4 , , .3 , , .1 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2005–06 , style="text-align:left;", DePaul , 27 , , 10 , , 19.5 , , .377 , , .346 , , .792 , , 1.2 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .1 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;", DePaul , 34 , , 4 , , 12.0 , , .450 , , .375 , , .438 , , 1.2 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .0 , , 1.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;", DePaul , 30 , , 22 , , 25.9 , , .392 , , .333 , , .629 , , 1.2 , , 4.1 , , .7 , , .0 , , 3.0 , -


Professional career


2008–2009 season

On November 7, 2008, Clinkscales was selected as the seventh pick of the ninth round in the 2008 NBA Development League Draft by the Erie BayHawks. He made his official professional debut with the BayHawks on November 28, scoring 12 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists in a loss to the
Fort Wayne Mad Ants The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The Mad ...
. On December 11, Clinkscales recorded his first
double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
with 10 points and a team-high 11 assists, helping his team defeat the
Iowa Energy Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
. In a loss to the
Sioux Falls Skyforce The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team plays their home games in the Sanford Pentagon, a place they have call ...
later in the season, he had a career-high 13 assists. Throughout his initial stint with the BayHawks, Clinkscales emerged as a reliable passer and played in nine games. After 43 games, he averaged 7.3 points and 5.3 assists, ranking 11th in the league in the latter category. Towards the end of the season, on March 30, 2009, Clinkscales was acquired from the player pool by the
Rio Grande Valley Vipers The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Edinburg, Texas, and are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers play their home games at the Bert Ogden Arena. The Vipers have won fo ...
of the D-League. To make room for him in their roster, the Vipers had to waive veteran Jeff Trepagnier. Head coach Clay Moser described Clinkscales' arrival as a boon to the team, saying, "We like Cliff's ability to get into the middle of the
lane In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
and create shots for others." Clinkscales was expected to join the Vipers as the backup point guard to Jared Jordan. He only played 12 minutes in his debut with the team, with zero points and three assists against the Utah Flash on April 1. He capped the season with a double-double of 12 points and ten assists vs. the
Austin Spurs The Austin Spurs are an American basketball team in the NBA G League based in Cedar Park, Texas, and are affiliated with the San Antonio Spurs. The team plays their home games at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. The team has made the postseason in 8 ...
. By the end of the season, he was averaging 7.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.4 rebounds.


2009–2010 season

Following his brief stint with the BayHawks, and subsequent signing by the Vipers, Clinkscales was eventually named on the latter's training camp roster. On November 17, 2009, he was cut from the roster during preseason. As a result, he reunited with the Erie BayHawks in mid-December. In his first appearance after rejoining the Bayhawks, he recorded nine points, seven assists, and four rebounds in a loss to the Iowa Energy on December 19. In another game vs. Iowa Energy that month, Clinkscales scored 14 points and notched a season-best 16 assists. Despite his strong passing numbers, he was criticized for being a poor jump shooter. After 39 games in the season, he averaged 5.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 rebounds per game. That season, he finished six different games with ten or more assists.


2013–2014 season

After leaving the D-League, Clinkscales signed in 2013 with the Panama City Breeze of the semi-professional American Basketball League (ABL), with no indication that he joined any other team since his tenure with the BayHawks. On February 16, 2013, he scored 12 points with two three-pointers in a loss to the Emerald Coast Knights. While with the Breeze, Clinkscales (and his teammates) endured financial and domestic difficulties. He lived with five other teammates in a duplex house in
Bay County, Florida Bay County is a county on the Emerald Coast in Northwest Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 175,216. Its county seat is Panama City. Bay County is included in the Panama City, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. History On ...
. Because of financial issues, the league failed to pay the players—with Clinkscales solely receiving a check of $400—and canceled several games on its schedule. Later in the season, the players' duplex was supposedly leased by Breeze's head coach, Ty Fisher. A local broker filed a civil lawsuit against Fisher to evict the players, and county sheriff deputies soon forced them to leave the house. While living in the area, the players received aid from a local resident, Vonda Gainer, who they met at a
Dollar Tree Dollar Tree, Inc. is an American multi-price-point chain of discount variety stores. Headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, it is a ''Fortune'' 500 company and operates 15,115 stores throughout the 48 contiguous U.S. states and Canada. Its ...
store. Gainer gave them food and washed their clothes. Despite their poor living conditions, the players failed to receive any aid by the league, with no contact or assurance from league CEO Steve Haney. In February 2014, shortly after his time with the Breeze, Clinkscales joined the
Halifax Rainmen The Halifax Rainmen were a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and their home games took place at the Scotiabank Centre, ...
of the
National Basketball League of Canada The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada; french: Ligue nationale de basketball du Canada) is a Canadian professional men's minor league basketball organization. The NBL Canada was founded in 2011, when three existing Premier Basketb ...
(NBL) for the remainder of the 2013–14 season. In his first game for the Rainmen on February 11, he had six points, four rebounds, and nine assists against the
Island Storm The Island Storm is an inactive Canadian professional basketball team based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The team is a charter member of the National Basketball League of Canada that began play in the 2011–12 season. The Storm plays ...
. Clinkscales scored a season-high 22 points along with 11 assists in a playoff win over the
Saint John Mill Rats The Saint John Riptide were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Saint John, New Brunswick, that had home games at Harbour Station. They were a member of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada) in the Atlantic Division ( ...
on March 7. In the following game vs. the Mill Rats on March 9, he set the NBL Canada postseason record with 18 assists in a single game. He finished the series with a total of 52 assists—the most in a four-game playoff series in league history. In the following round against the Storm, Clinkscales accumulated 68 assists, an NBL Canada record for a six-game series. He finished the season averaging 11 points, 9.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds. On April 20, 2014, Clinkscales represented the Atlantic Division at the
NBL Canada All-Star Game The NBL Canada All-Star Game was an exhibition game hosted by the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL). The first edition was held in 2012 and included ten players per team, randomly divided under captains Joey Haywood and Eddie Smith. In th ...
in
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in 1 ...
. He finished with four points, two rebounds, and a game-high 15 assists, as his team defeated the Central Division.


2014–2015 season

On May 14, 2014, Clinkscales was announced as one of six protected players on the Rainmen roster for the upcoming season, meaning that he could not be approached by any other NBL Canada team. On June 23, Clinkscales re-signed with the Rainmen for the 2014–15 season. The team, which parted ways with their head coach
Craig Hodges Craig Anthony Hodges (born June 27, 1960)
''basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved March 19, 2011
is an ...
, aimed to return many of its players from the previous season, and Rainmen owner
Andre Levingston Andre Levingston is an American entrepreneur and basketball coach. He was formerly an auto detailer and schoolteacher. He is a co-founder of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and most recently served as the owner and president of th ...
labelled Clinkscales as having been one of his priorities to keep on the team. On November 7, the Rainmen lost their season opener to the Moncton Miracles, 113–117, with Clinkscales accounting for nine points and eight assists. He had a double-double in a win over their follow-up with the Miracles on November 23, recording ten points and a team-high ten assists off the bench. On November 29, he notched 14 points and 8 assists vs. the Island Storm. As a point guard, Clinkscales scored a season-best 16 points against the Storm on February 26, 2015. In a postseason victory vs. the Miracles on March 8, he had a season-high 12 assists. The Rainmen went on to qualify for the 2015 Finals against the
Windsor Express The Windsor Express is a Canadian professional basketball team based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The Express are an expansion team of the National Basketball League of Canada that began play in the 2012–13 season. The Express play its home gam ...
. In their Game 1 defeat, Clinkscales committed three
fouls Foul may refer to: __NOTOC__ In sports * Foul (sports), an unfair or illegal act during a sports competition, including: ** Foul (association football), in football (soccer) ** Professional foul, in football (soccer) or rugby ** Foul (basketbal ...
within the first 12 minutes, but still managed to score 13 points. The series featured several physical and verbal altercations, and after it was tied at three games apiece, the Rainmen chose to forfeit the deciding seventh game. Prior to the contest, a brawl occurred between members of both sides. The league fined Clinkscales, along with ten of his teammates, $5,000 each for poor
sportsmanship Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport, or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. This is with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. A "sore loser" refers to o ...
on the court. They were suspended indefinitely from the NBL Canada during the investigation. Commenting on the incident, Clinkscales later explained, "We practice hard against each other, we beat each other up, but there's a difference between being physical and dirty and hurting people." The league fined players, coaches, and teams a total of $90,000, and the Rainmen ultimately collapsed after facing bankruptcy. Clinkscales ended the season averaging 6.6 points, 5.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.


2015–2016 season

For the 2015–2016 season, the Rainmen reformed under new ownership as the Halifax Hurricanes. Levingston remained the team's general manager. Clinkscales returned to the Halifax team, but he had to play with mostly new teammates and a new coach in Hugo López. Clinkscales eventually assumed the position of team captain during the season. In the Hurricanes' regular season opener on Boxing Day 2015, Clinkscales added 13 points to help overcome the Moncton Miracles. He went on to break the double-digit scoring mark on January 23, 2016, in a victory against the Island Storm, when he had ten points and a game-high seven assists. On January 28, Clinkscales had his first double-double of the season, with a season-best 18 points and 10 assists in a loss to the Saint John Mill Rats. The Hurricanes were unable to rally from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit. Clinkscales had another double-double on February 14 against the Orangeville A's, recording ten points and ten assists to push Halifax to a 125–89 win. He notched four steals, which would be a season high. On March 10, playing point guard, he scored 18 points once again, to go along with 10 assists, as the Hurricanes captured only their second win of the season, over the Mill Rats. Two games later, on March 18, Clinkscales recorded 10 points, 16 assists, and 7 rebounds – season bests for the latter two categories. His team won the game in overtime against the A's. Halifax entered the playoffs with a league-best 29–11 record, and they eventually returned to the NBL Canada Finals. On June 14, the Hurricanes won the championship over the
London Lightning The London Lightning is a Canadian professional basketball team based in London, Ontario, Canada, with home games at the Budweiser Gardens. The team is a charter member of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) that began play for the 201 ...
, prevailing in the series 4–3. Clinkscales scored nine points and passed a team-high nine assists in the victory. His role as a leader within the squad was evidenced by his directing of the crowd at the
Scotiabank Centre Scotiabank Centre (formerly known as Halifax Metro Centre) is the largest multi-purpose facility in Atlantic Canada, located in the heart of downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The main entrances to the building are located on Brunswick Str ...
. He remarked, "It feels great to get it with this group of guys." Clinkscales finished the season averaging 6.9 points, 8.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. In mid-August 2016, he announced that he would not return to the Hurricanes during the 2016–17 season; he considered beginning a coaching career.


2016–2017 season

Despite his previous claims, Clinkscales re-signed with the Hurricanes for the 2016–17 season on October 18, 2016, having been persuaded to make the decision by newly hired head coach Kevin Keathley. Clinkscales said, "I am very excited to be returning to Halifax. I love the city and all of our supporters. I'm ready to work hard and build a team to defend our title with Coach Keathley. Da General is back!" Keathley was replaced by Mike Leslie by the start of the season. On December 26, in his season debut, Clinkscales scored six points, grabbed five rebounds, and passed for a team-high five assists to defeat the Moncton Miracles. In a game on January 12, 2017, vs. the Island Storm, he scored no points but recorded 13 assists. Clinkscales and the Hurricanes ultimately made it to the NBL Canada Finals before losing to the London Lightning in six games. Clinkscales was named to the All-NBL Canada Second Team at the end of the season with the league stating "Nine Hurricanes had more points than Clinkscales this season, but all can credit much of their scoring to the savvy point guard, who ranked second in NBLC with 300 assists while executing with a league-leading 4.48 assist-to-turnover rate. He had 11 double-digit assist games."


2017–2018 season

Clinkscales was one of several players on the team who returned to the Hurricanes with the hope of again contending for the NBL Canada championship. He was happy to see so many returning players, commenting, "our coaching staff and owners did a great job of bringing the guys back, and these guys are pretty good". He believed he had ample opportunities to get assists because of his teammates, describing some of the returning members of his team as, "We have Ta'Quan Zimmerman who is one of the best shooters in the league, we got Mike Poole one of the best shooters in the league, we have Antoine Mason who is one of the best scorers in the league, we have Billy White who commands a double-team every night, so is one of the best players in the league. With those guys around it makes it easy for me and I just try to get them the ball in the right spots where they are comfortable." Clinkscales had a season-high 20 points with six three-pointers on March 6 against the
St. John's Edge The St. John's Edge are an inactive Canadian professional basketball team based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and compete in the National Basketball League of Canada. From 2017 to 2020, they played home games at Mile One Centre. The ...
. He had 11 games with double-digit assists, including a season-best 15 in a loss to the
Saint John Riptide The Saint John Riptide were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Saint John, New Brunswick, that had home games at Harbour Station. They were a member of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada) in the Atlantic Division. ...
on January 18. Clinkscales recorded double-digit rebounds for the first and only time in his NBL Canada career on February 25 with 10 against the Moncton Magic. For the second consecutive season, the Halifax Hurricanes lost to the London Lightning in the NBL Canada Finals, this time in a winner-take-all Game 7. Clinkscales had 14 points and 14 assists in the decisive loss.


2018–2019 season

The 2018–19 season turned out to be the last full season of Clinkscales's playing career. Along with Poole and
Tyrone Watson Tyrone Watson (born July 12, 1990) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the St. John's Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL). He attended New Mexico State University, where he represented the Aggies, and has compete ...
, he was one of only three players to return to the Hurricanes. Coach Mike Leslie also returned to the team. Clinkscales described his role on the team as, "I bring leadership and experience and as one of the oldest players on the team so my job is to be an extension of my coaches and make the game easier for not only my coaches but also my team." He set a franchise record for assists in a game with 18 on December 19 against the
Windsor Express The Windsor Express is a Canadian professional basketball team based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The Express are an expansion team of the National Basketball League of Canada that began play in the 2012–13 season. The Express play its home gam ...
. Overall though, Clinkscales's season averages declined to 5.2 points per game and 6.3 assists per game, respectively the lowest and second-lowest averages of his NBL Canada career. Although the Hurricanes finished the season with the second-best record in the league, they were second in their division behind the Moncton Magic and lost to the Magic in the NBL Canada Division Finals in another Game 7.


2019–2020 season

Before the 2019–20 season began, Mike Leslie was promoted to team president and general manager. The vacant coaching position was filled by Ryan Marchand. Clinkscales set a new career-high with 27 points on March 5 against the Sudbury Five, breaking his own franchise record with 19 assists in the same game. A week later, the rest of the season was suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
and ultimately cancelled. At the time, the Hurricanes had a losing record of 8–16. Nonetheless, Clinkscales was averaging 10.1 assists per game, the best of his NBL Canada career. He had double-digit assists in 13 of his 24 games. Clinkscales earned Third Team All-NBL Canada honors. Before the season began, Clinkscales became the all-time assist leader in NBL Canada history.


Coaching career

On December 24, 2021, Clinkscales was announced as an assistant coach for the
KW Titans KW Titans (formally known as Kitchener-Waterloo Titans Basketball Club) are a professional basketball team based in Regional Municipality of Waterloo and competing the National Basketball League of Canada. The team plays its home games at Kitche ...
of the NBL Canada. He reached his decision to retire after the Hurricanes announced they would not come back after the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 season.


Professional statistics

:''Cited from
RealGM RealGM.com is a sports website created in 2000. The site was originally a basketball site, but has since expanded its scope to provide information about American football, baseball, ice hockey and soccer. According to Alexa, the site ranked in th ...
''


D-League

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1, Erie BayHawks , 43 , , 9 , , 28.6 , , .451 , , .214 , , .605 , , 2.4 , , 5.3 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 7.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1,
Rio Grande Valley Vipers The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Edinburg, Texas, and are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers play their home games at the Bert Ogden Arena. The Vipers have won fo ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 19.4 , , .500 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.8 , , 5.0 , , .6 , , .0 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1, Erie BayHawks , 39 , , 14 , , 20.9 , , .424 , , .111 , , .676 , , 1.6 , , 5.1 , , .5 , , .1 , , 5.1 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", , 87 , , 23 , , 24.6 , , .444 , , .174 , , .628 , , 2.0 , , 5.2 , , .8 , , .2 , , 6.3


NBL Canada

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1,
Halifax Rainmen The Halifax Rainmen were a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and their home games took place at the Scotiabank Centre, ...
, 18 , , 16 , , 43.3 , , .415 , , .250 , , .786 , , 3.3 , , 9.8 , , 1.8 , , .2 , , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1,
Halifax Rainmen The Halifax Rainmen were a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and their home games took place at the Scotiabank Centre, ...
, 45 , , 14 , , 20.9 , , .433 , , .431 , , .576 , , 2.0 , , 5.9 , , 1.4 , , .1 , , 6.6 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;", 2015–16† , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1, Halifax Hurricanes , 53 , , 43 , , 29.4 , , .422 , , .354 , , .704 , , 2.6 , , 8.0 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left;, 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1, Halifax Hurricanes , 55 , , 55 , , 29.5 , , .392 , , .383 , , .786 , , 2.9 , , 8.4 , , 1.4 , , .1 , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;, 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1, Halifax Hurricanes , 54 , , 54 , , 32.4 , , .399 , , .383 , , .743 , , 2.9 , , 7.5 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;, 2018–19 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1, Halifax Hurricanes , 52 , , 52 , , 29.8 , , .375 , , .379 , , .588 , , 2.1 , , 6.3 , , .9 , , .2 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;, 2019–20 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=1, Halifax Hurricanes , 24 , , 24 , , 36.9 , , .426 , , .391 , , .769 , , 4.0 , , 10.1 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , 7.4


Personal life

Clinkscales has played streetball with the Sean Bell All-Stars against local teams in New York City, acting as the starting point guard. The team was named after an unarmed New York native who was shot 50 times by three police officers on November 25, 2006. The Sean Bell All-Stars won the Trayvon Martin Invitational in August 2013, with a team that featured Clinkscales and
Tobias Harris Tobias John Harris (born July 15, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers before declar ...
, in
Harlem, New York Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harl ...
. The event raised over $5,000 for the Trayvon Martin Foundation and was attended by NBA players
Kyrie Irving Kyrie Andrew Irving (; lkt, Ȟéla, italic=no, ; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected ...
,
Tyreke Evans Tyreke Jamir Evans (born September 19, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Indios de Mayagüez of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). After playing college basketball for the Memphis Tigers, he was selected with the f ...
, and future NBA commissioner
Adam Silver Adam Silver (born April 25, 1962) is an American lawyer and sports executive who serves as the fifth and current commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He joined the NBA in 1992 and has held various positions within the l ...
. At the invitational, Clinkscales spoke out against police brutality, saying, "Kids everywhere are getting shot and murdered, whether it's in
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
,
the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. It seems like it never goes right when it comes to the law, but the message to the kids is that if you go hard on the court you have to go hard in the classroom." In 2015, he competed for the All-Stars at
The Basketball Tournament The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an open-application, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States. The 2022 edition features 64 teams with a $1 million winner-take-all prize, broadcast by ESPN. TBT was founded in 20 ...
, in a team that featured Delroy James and Zamal Nixon and was managed by Raheem Wiggins. In a victory against Team No Excuses in 2015, Clinkscales scored 11 points. As well as playing streetball, he has coached youth basketball in
South Jamaica, Queens South Jamaica (also commonly known as "The Southside") is a residential neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, located south of downtown Jamaica. Although a proper border has not been established, the neighborhood is a subsection ...
.


Notes


References


External links


Cliff Clinkscales
at
Eurobasket.com Eurobasket.com also commonly referred to as "Eurobasket News", is a basketball-centered website that provide coverages of every professional and semi-professional leagues around the world. Although primarily focusing on European basketball, th ...

Cliff Clinkscales
at
RealGM RealGM.com is a sports website created in 2000. The site was originally a basketball site, but has since expanded its scope to provide information about American football, baseball, ice hockey and soccer. According to Alexa, the site ranked in th ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinkscales, Cliff 1984 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Canada American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from New York (state) DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball players Erie BayHawks (2008–2017) players Halifax Hurricanes players Halifax Rainmen players Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Point guards Basketball players from Queens, New York