Leroy Ellis

LeRoy Ellis (March 10, 1940 – June 2, 2012) was an American basketball player. A 6'11" center, he played college basketball at St. John's University, where he set school records for the highest rebounding average in a season (16.5) and the most rebounds in a single game (30). In his senior year he received the 1962 Haggerty Award as the All-Metropolitan New York Division I men's college basketball player of the year.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Ellis in the first round of the 1962 NBA draft, eighth overall. He played 1,048 games over 14 seasons (1962–1976) with the Lakers, Baltimore Bullets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Philadelphia 76ers. He was a member of the first Portland Trail Blazers team in 1970–71, having been chosen from Baltimore in the 1970 expansion draft. He was also a member of the 1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers championship team, which won a then-record 69 regular-season games and recorded the longest winning streak in NBA history with 33 wins. The following season Ellis was traded to the 76ers, who lost an NBA-worst 73 games in an 82-game season. At the close of his NBA career in 1976, Ellis had amassed career totals of 10,176 points and 8,709 rebounds.