Dale Ellis facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 6, 1960 Marietta, Georgia, U.S. |
| High school | Marietta (Marietta, Georgia) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Tennessee (1979–1983) |
| NBA Draft | 1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall |
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | |
| Pro career | 1983–2000 |
| Career history | |
| 1983–1986 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1986–1991 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1991–1992 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1992–1994 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1994–1997 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1997–1999 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1999–2000 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2000 | Charlotte Hornets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 19,004 (15.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,201 (3.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,746 (1.4 apg) |
Dale Ellis (born August 6, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for many years. Dale Ellis was known for his amazing three-point shots. For a while, he held the record for the most three-point shots made in NBA history. When he retired, his 1,719 three-pointers were the second-highest ever. As of January 2025, he still ranks among the top 35 players for career three-pointers. He played in 1,209 games, averaging 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
Contents
Dale Ellis's Basketball Journey
Starting His NBA Career
After playing college basketball at the University of Tennessee, Dale Ellis was picked ninth overall in the 1983 NBA draft. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks. During his time with the Mavericks, he didn't play much and often sat on the bench.
Becoming a Star in Seattle
Dale Ellis's career changed a lot when he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in July 1986. He started playing much more, and his scoring went way up! With the Mavericks, he averaged 7.1 points per game. But with the SuperSonics, that jumped to 24.9 points per game. In his first game for Seattle, he scored 23 points. Because of his big improvement, he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1987.
Ellis continued to be a star for the SuperSonics in the late 1980s. He even became the first NBA player to make two four-point plays in one game in 1988. His best scoring season was 1988–89, when he averaged 27.5 points per game. That season, he scored a career-high 49 points in one game. He also broke a team record for most points scored in a single season. In 1989, he was chosen to play in the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, where he scored 27 points for the West team.
Later Career and Records
After four and a half seasons with the SuperSonics, Ellis was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He didn't start as much with the Bucks, but he still scored a lot of points for the team. Later, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. With the Spurs, he became a starter again and played very efficiently, shooting almost 50% from the field.
Towards the end of his career, Ellis played for several other teams, including the Denver Nuggets, the SuperSonics again, the Bucks again, and the Charlotte Hornets. His playing time became less as he got older. He retired from basketball after the 1999–2000 season.
Dale Ellis holds an impressive NBA record for playing the most minutes in a single game. On November 9, 1989, he played 69 minutes (out of a possible 73) for the SuperSonics in a very long game that went into quintuple-overtime! He scored 53 points in that game. When he retired, his 1,719 career three-pointers were the second most in NBA history.
See also
In Spanish: Dale Ellis para niños
- List of NBA career 3-point scoring leaders
- List of NBA career 3-point field goal percentage leaders
- List of NBA career games played leaders
