Laphonso Ellis

Born on May 5, 1970, in East St. Louis, Illinois, Laphonso Ellis established himself as a prominent basketball player early in his life. He notably led East St. Louis Lincoln High School to consecutive Illinois Class AA boys’ championships in 1987 and 1988. During these championship games, he delivered strong performances, scoring 27 points and securing 10 rebounds in 1987, and 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 blocked shots in 1988. His high school career culminated in being named a Parade All-American and a McDonald’s High School All-American in 1988, marking him as a top prospect in basketball. His consistent performance earned him recognition as one of the “100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament” in 2007.

Ellis continued his basketball career at the University of Notre Dame, where he played for four years. He consistently led the team in blocked shots throughout his college tenure, setting a school record with 200 career blocks. As a senior captain, Ellis led his team in scoring with 17.7 points per game, rebounding with 11.7 rebounds per game, field goal percentage at .631, and blocked shots with 2.6 per game. He contributed to Notre Dame reaching the NCAA tournament twice and the 1992 NIT Tournament finals. After graduating with a degree in accounting, Ellis was drafted as the fifth overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets. He was named to the 1992-93 All-Rookie First Team after averaging 14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in his first professional season.

His NBA career spanned 11 seasons, playing for the Denver Nuggets (1992-1998), Atlanta Hawks (1998-2000), Minnesota Timberwolves (2000-2001), and Miami Heat (2001-2003). Ellis recorded his highest scoring season in 1996-97 with the Nuggets, averaging 21.9 points per game. Throughout his 625 NBA games, he maintained career averages of 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Following his retirement from professional playing in 2003, Ellis transitioned into broadcasting. He served as a college basketball analyst for ESPN from 2009 to 2023, and subsequently joined the Big Ten Network and Fox/FS1, where he continues to share his knowledge and insights on college basketball.