Melvin Ely facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | May 2, 1978 Harvey, Illinois, U.S. |
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| High school | Thornton Township (Harvey, Illinois) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 261 lb (118 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Fresno State (1998–2002) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2002–2016 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2016–2019 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Charlotte Bobcats | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | San Antonio Spurs | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | New Orleans Hornets | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Brujos de Guayama | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Texas Legends | |||||||||||||
| 2014 | New Orleans Pelicans | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Gunma Crane Thunders | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Canton Charge (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Melvin Anderson Ely (born May 2, 1978) is a former American professional basketball player. He played as a power forward and center. After his playing career, he became an assistant coach for the Canton Charge in the NBA G League.
Melvin is 6 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 261 pounds during his playing days. He played college basketball at Fresno State. In 2002, he was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers as the 12th overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft.
Contents
High School Basketball Star
Melvin Ely was a fantastic basketball player at Harvey Thornton High School. He was so good that he earned special honors. He was named an All-American by McDonald's and Parade Magazine.
In his senior year (1997), Melvin averaged 15.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.2 blocked shots per game. He was even named the Chicago Sun-Times player of the year! Melvin led his team to amazing success. They finished second in the state championships in 1995 and 1996, and third in 1997. During his three years as a starter, his high school team won 93 games and lost only 4! That's an incredible record.
Later, in 2007, Melvin was recognized as one of the "100 Legends" of the Illinois High School Boys Basketball Tournament. This shows how much of an impact he had.
College Success at Fresno State
Melvin Ely continued his basketball journey at Fresno State. He played under coach Jerry Tarkanian. Melvin helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA tournament twice, in 2000 and 2001.
He was also named the WAC Player of the Year for two years in a row, in 2001 and 2002. This award goes to the best player in the conference. In 2001, he also won a bronze medal with the United States team at the Summer Universiade in Beijing.
Professional Basketball Career
Melvin Ely started his professional career with the Los Angeles Clippers. After two seasons, he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. With the Bobcats, he became an important reserve player. He played well during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.
In 2007, Melvin was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. Even though he played only a few games for them, the Spurs won the NBA championship that year. So, Melvin Ely earned an NBA championship ring!
After that, he signed with the New Orleans Hornets in 2007. He played there for two seasons. Later in his career, he also played for the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Melvin also played basketball outside the NBA. He played for the Brujos de Guayama in Puerto Rico in 2012. He also played for the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League, which is a league for players hoping to make it to the NBA. In 2014, he was even named an NBA D-League All-Star. His final NBA game was in April 2014 with the New Orleans Pelicans.
In September 2014, Melvin signed a one-year deal to play for the Gunma Crane Thunders in Japan. In 2017, Melvin Ely was honored by being inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Melvin Ely became a basketball coach. In September 2016, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Canton Charge. This team is part of the NBA G League, which is a development league for the NBA.
See also
In Spanish: Melvin Ely (baloncestista) para niños
