LeRon Ellis facts for kids

LeRon Perry Ellis, born on April 28, 1969, is a former American professional basketball player. He was known as one of the best high school basketball players in the country in 1987. At that time, he played for the top-ranked Mater Dei school in Southern California.

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

LeRon Ellis's Early Life and Family

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 Ellis Sr., played in the NBA for 14 years. He was even part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won a championship in the 1971–72 season.

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 men's basketball for the University of the Pacific.

LeRoy Ellis Sr. traveled a lot with the NBA during LeRon's early childhood. When LeRon was eight, his family moved to Portland, Oregon, after his father retired from basketball. In Portland, 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 planned to move later. They settled in Anaheim, and LeRon transferred to Mater Dei High School. This was a private Catholic school known for its strong sports programs. LeRon finished high school at Mater Dei and then received a basketball scholarship to the University of Kentucky.

High School Basketball Achievements

LeRon Ellis started achieving great things in sports at a young age. In his first year at Parkrose High School, he helped lead the boys' basketball team to the semi-finals of the Oregon state tournament. 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

Ellis played exceptionally well for the Mater Dei Monarchs. He quickly became one of the team's most important players, playing in the center position. He was strong on both offense and defense. He was known for his excellent shot-blocking skills. People also noticed how quick and agile he was for his age.

The Mater Dei Monarchs had an amazing record of 30 wins and 1 loss during the 1985–86 season. They also had a 59-game winning streak, which was the second-longest in CIF history at the time. Their great season ended with another CIF Southern Section 5-A tournament title in March 1986. This made the Monarchs champions for two years in a row. LeRon Ellis scored a career-high 30 points in that tournament. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and was chosen as the Los Angeles Times' Player of the Week. However, Mater Dei lost a close overtime game to Crenshaw High School in the CIF Division I state final later that month.

Recruitment and Senior Year Success

During the summer of 1986, many top college basketball programs wanted LeRon Ellis to play for them. He eventually narrowed his choices to St. John's, Georgetown University, the University of Southern California, and the University of Kentucky. Former Lakers player and coach Pat Riley helped convince Ellis 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 country. He was also the star player for the number two ranked high school basketball team at the start of his senior year.

LeRon Ellis helped his team reach the 1986 King Cotton Tournament finals. The Monarchs then had one of the most famous basketball seasons in their school's history. Ellis and his teammates repeated their 30–1 record during the 1986–87 season. They also 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. This win gave the school its first CIF Division I state title.

LeRon Ellis won many important 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 best high school basketball players in the country. The Mater Dei basketball team was ranked number one in the nation by USA Today.

Other High School Sports and Activities

LeRon Ellis also showed great athletic skills in other sports at Mater Dei. He played water polo again in his senior year and was the team's top scorer. Ellis was also part of 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 for boys in Orange County.

LeRon Ellis was even involved in school activities outside of sports. He participated in several theater productions with the Mater Dei drama club. He also won first prize in the school's bake-off!

College Basketball Career

Playing for the Kentucky Wildcats

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

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

The team was led by All-American and All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) star Rex Chapman. Kentucky won their 37th SEC title that season with a 27–6 record. The Wildcats were ranked as the 6th best college basketball team in the nation. They earned the number two seed in the Southeast Conference for the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Kentucky made it to the tournament's Sweet Sixteen, where they lost to Villanova.

Sophomore Year and Challenges

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. On the court, Ellis became a key player because many of Kentucky's top players could not play in the 1988–89 season. Older stars like Ed Davender, Robert Lock, and Winston Bennett had graduated. Rex Chapman left early to join the NBA. Another player, Eric Manuel, was suspended for the whole season. And Shawn Kemp, a promising new player, transferred before the season began.

Kentucky's basketball program relied heavily on the less experienced LeRon Ellis and freshman Chris Mills. These two young players struggled to fill the gaps left by the missing talent. Even before the season, many people predicted a tough year for the Wildcats.

Ellis led Kentucky in points that season, playing both power forward and center. He had his best offensive season in college, averaging 16 points per game and shooting 51.9% from the field. He also had good defensive numbers, with 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Ellis's 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 that time.

Ellis was honored for his great performance at the University of Kentucky's annual awards banquet. He received the "Most Points" and "Most Sacrifice" awards. However, Ellis also had some weaknesses. He was sometimes inconsistent on offense and not as strong on defense. In the end, Ellis could not help Kentucky overcome their difficult season. The team had many poor performances and faced an ongoing NCAA investigation into its basketball program. The Wildcats finished with a losing record of 13–19. As of 2017, this was the school's only losing season since 1927.

Transferring to Syracuse University

At the end of the season, the NCAA announced that Kentucky's basketball program had broken NCAA recruitment rules. Because of this, the Wildcats were put on probation for three years. Soon after, LeRon Ellis announced he would leave Kentucky.

After his announcement, some of the nation's top college basketball programs again tried to recruit Ellis. In the summer of 1989, he visited UCLA, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and Syracuse University. Ellis was very interested in transferring to UNLV. However, he changed his mind when he found out their basketball program was also under NCAA investigation. It could face similar penalties to Kentucky. If he had gone to UNLV in 1989, LeRon Ellis could have been part of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels team that won the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship in 1990.

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. After his NBA career, he played for many teams overseas until 2002.

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