LeRon Ellis facts for kids

LeRon Perry Ellis (born April 28, 1969) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He was known as one of the best high school basketball players in the country in 1987. He played for Mater Dei, a top school in Southern California.

LeRon Ellis was chosen to play in the NBA after playing college basketball for the University of Kentucky and Syracuse University. He played in the NBA for three seasons, but most of his professional career was spent playing basketball overseas.

LeRon's Early Life

LeRon Ellis was born in Los Angeles, California. His parents were LeRoy Sr. and Lucille Ellis. LeRon comes from a very athletic family. His father, LeRoy Sr., played in the NBA for 14 years. He was even part of the 1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers championship team.

LeRon's older sister, Lisa Ellis, played women's basketball for California State University, Long Beach and the University of Kentucky. His older brother, LeRoy Jr., played NCAA Division I men's basketball for the University of the Pacific.

LeRon's family moved around a lot when he was young because of his father's NBA career. After his father retired, they moved to Portland, Oregon. LeRon went to Parkrose High School for his first two years of high school. He was great at sports, playing both basketball and water polo.

In 1985, LeRoy Sr. moved to Orange County to open a tire store. LeRon decided to join his father, even though the rest of the family would move later. They settled in Anaheim. LeRon then transferred to Mater Dei High School. This was a private Catholic school nearby, known for its strong sports programs. LeRon finished high school at Mater Dei and then went to the University of Kentucky on a basketball scholarship.

High School Basketball Success

LeRon Ellis started showing his amazing athletic skills very early. In his first year at Parkrose High School, he helped lead the boys' basketball team to the Oregon state semi-finals. He was also chosen for the 1984 Oregon Boys' High School Water Polo All-Tourney Second Team. His school's water polo team finished third in the state championship.

After two years at Parkrose High, LeRon moved back to California with his father. They settled in Orange County. There, Gary McKnight, the boys' basketball coach for Mater Dei High School, noticed LeRon's talent.

Ellis earned national recognition for his play at the Mater Dei basketball gymnasium during his high school years

LeRon quickly became a key player for the Mater Dei Monarchs as a center. He was strong on both offense and defense. He was known for his excellent shot blocking skills and was very quick and agile for his age.

The Mater Dei Monarchs had an amazing record of 30 wins and only 1 loss in the 1985–86 season. They also had a 59-game winning streak, which was the second-longest in CIF history at the time. In March 1986, they won another CIF Southern Section 5-A tournament title, making them champions two years in a row. LeRon Ellis scored a career-high 30 points in that tournament. He was named the tournament's MVP and the Los Angeles Times' Player of the Week. However, Mater Dei lost a close overtime game to Crenshaw High School in the state final later that month.

During the summer of 1986, many top NCAA basketball programs wanted LeRon to play for them. He narrowed his choices down to St. John's, Georgetown University, the University of Southern California, and the University of Kentucky. Pat Riley, a former Lakers player and coach, helped convince LeRon to go to Kentucky. On September 15, 1986, LeRon Ellis announced he would sign with Kentucky. He was ranked as one of the top 20 high school basketball players in the nation. His team was ranked number two at the start of his senior year.

LeRon helped his team reach the 1986 King Cotton Tournament finals. The Monarchs then had one of their most famous basketball seasons ever. LeRon and his team repeated their 30–1 record in the 1986–87 season. They won their third straight CIF Southern Section 5-A title. Mater Dei then went to the state CIF State Championship tournament. They beat the top-ranked Fairfax High School in the semi-finals. The Monarchs finished their amazing season by defeating Ygnacio Valley High School in the finals. They won the school's first CIF Division I state title.

LeRon Ellis won many awards that season. He averaged 22.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and shot 54% from the field. By the end of the season, LeRon Ellis was considered one of the country's best high school basketball players. The Mater Dei basketball team was ranked number one in the nation by USA Today.

LeRon Ellis also showed great athletic skills outside of basketball at Mater Dei. He played water polo again in his senior year and led the team in scoring. He was also on the Mater Dei track & field team. He competed in the high jump and triple jump. His 46–9.5 mark in the triple jump was one of the top 25 all-time records in Orange County. LeRon Ellis was even involved in school activities outside of sports. He was in several theater productions with the Mater Dei drama club and won first prize in the school's bake-off.

College Basketball Journey

Playing for Kentucky

Before starting at the NCAA, LeRon Ellis played in the U.S. Olympic Festival basketball games in the summer of 1987. At Kentucky, he was a highly anticipated freshman. The Wildcats' head coach, Eddie Sutton, thought LeRon could be as good as Sam Bowie.

During his first year, LeRon Ellis mostly played as a backup. He came off the bench behind center Robert Lock and power forward Winston Bennett. However, he did start several games. His first start was on January 31, 1988, against Notre Dame. In that game, he scored a career-high 14 points and had five steals. For the 1987–88 season, LeRon Ellis averaged 4.3 points and 13.8 minutes per game. He started in 12 of 28 games.

All-American star Rex Chapman led Kentucky to their 37th SEC title that season. They had a 27–6 record. The Wildcats were ranked 6th nationally by the Associated Press and UPI. They earned the number two seed in the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Kentucky reached the tournament's Sweet Sixteen, but they lost to Villanova.

LeRon Ellis made headlines at the start of his second year. He became the first African American to join the University of Kentucky's Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. He also became a key player on the court. Many of Kentucky's top players from the previous season were not able to play in the 1988–89 season. Some graduated, and others left early or were suspended. This meant that LeRon Ellis and freshman Chris Mills had to step up. Many people thought the Wildcats would have a tough season.

LeRon Ellis led Kentucky in points that season. He played both power forward and center. This was his best offensive season in college. He averaged a career-high 16 points per game and shot 51.9% from the field. He also had good defensive numbers, with 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.

His best game at Kentucky was against Northwestern University. He scored a career-high 37 points, making 14 of 17 shots. This made him the second-highest scoring sophomore in a single game for Kentucky at the time. LeRon was honored for his great performance at Kentucky's annual awards banquet. He received the "Most Points" and "Most Sacrifice" awards. However, he was sometimes inconsistent on offense and not as strong on defense.

Kentucky had a difficult season, finishing with a losing record of 13–19. This was the school's only losing season since 1927. The NCAA also announced that Kentucky's basketball program had broken recruitment rules. Because of this, the Wildcats were put on probation for three years. LeRon Ellis soon announced he would leave Kentucky.

Transferring to Syracuse

After leaving Kentucky, LeRon Ellis was again wanted by many top college basketball programs. In the summer of 1989, he visited UCLA, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and Syracuse University. He was very interested in transferring to UNLV. However, he changed his mind when he found out their basketball program was also being investigated by the NCAA.

On July 17, 1989, LeRon Ellis announced he would transfer to Syracuse. He was allowed to play in the upcoming 1989–90 season without having to sit out a year. This was because the University of Kentucky was on probation.

Professional Basketball Career

LeRon Ellis played his last two college seasons at Syracuse University. In the 1991 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers chose him as the 22nd overall pick. He then played three seasons in the NBA for the Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, and Miami Heat. His best year as a professional player was during the 1993–94 season with the Hornets. He played in 50 games and averaged 4.4 points per game.

Awards and Achievements

• CIF Southern Section 5-A Tournament MVP (1986)
• Los Angeles Times Player of the Week (March 10–16, 1986)
• Cal-Hi Sports All-State Basketball Team (1986)
• Street & Smith's Preseason All-American Second Team (1986)
• King Cotton All-Tournament Team (1987)
• Angelus League MVP (1987)
• Dapper Dan Roundball Classic: U.S. West (1987)
• CIF Southern Section 5-A Player of the Year (1987)
• Gatorade Player of the Year: Pacific Region (1987)
• Los Angeles Times' All-County Basketball Team (1987)
• Orange County Register's All-County Team (1987)
• Circle of Champions Pacific Regional Player of the Year (1987)
• Hoop Scoop Senior Class of 1987 First Team
• Los Angeles Times' Player of the Year (1987)
• Basketball Weekly All-American Third Team (1987)
• USA Today's All-USA High School Basketball Team (1987)
• Parade Magazine All-American First Team (1987)
• McDonald's Derby Festival Classic (1987)
• Cal-Hi Player of the Year (1987)
• Orange County Athletic Directors Association Athlete of the Year (1987)
• Amateur Athletic Foundation Top Prep Boy's Athlete (1987)
• U.S. Olympic Festival West Team (1987)
• R. William Jones Cup U.S. Team (1988)
• The United Press International All-SEC Second Team (1989)

See also

In Spanish: LeRon Ellis para niños

• List of second-generation NBA players