LaPhonso Ellis Jr. '10 Goes Pro with the St. Louis Pioneers
Published: April 13, 2021
When LaPhonso Ellis Jr. steps on the court with the St. Louis Pioneers, he does so as the youngest member of the 14-man team. The St. Louis Pioneers are a newly organized franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), and the only professional basketball team in St. Louis.
Ellis, a former Panther, graduated from Greenville College in May and immediately began traveling across the country trying out for various pro teams. By October, Ellis had earned his spot on the Pioneers roster.
Its a great experience for me as a young player, he says, Im a rookie, so I have a lot of the rookie responsibilities: putting up jerseys after the game, making sure warm-ups get to the right bag, and that type of thing. But I have a spirit that loves doing whatever for the team. I play the game because I love it.
His love for the game is evident. Ellis has been playing basketball for as long as he can remember. His earliest memories involve a hoop and ball. This passion for the game runs in the Ellis family. His father, LaPhonso Ellis Sr., enjoyed a successful professional basketball career with the Denver Nuggets.
Reflecting on his fathers career, Ellis says, Growing up, he was always just my dad to me. I didnt look at him as a millionaire or an NBA star. Now, though, I really appreciate that he had the opportunity to play basketball professionally. He got to play against the best of the best. Its really exciting when you think about it.
Ellis admits that at times it was hard having a father in the NBA, because his father often couldnt attend his games due to a busy travel schedule. Yet, Ellis says, When he could make it, he did make it. Ellis father retired from the NBA in 2003, which made it possible for him to attend more of Ellis games during his career at Greenville College.
It was the Assistant Principal at Belleville East High School, Bruce Perkins, who helped Ellis realize his dream of playing college ball. Perkins called around to several different schools on Ellis behalf and was impressed by his conversation with Greenville Colleges Head Coach George Barber. Barber recruited Ellis, who visited campus and applied.
I believe Greenville Colleges program is much different from others youd see, Ellis explains, Coach Barber teaches sportsmanship and team unity. Wed thank God for the opportunity to play and wed pray before each game. Wed even pray after the game with our opponents.
During his successful career as a Panther, Ellis served two years as a team captain. Coach Barber helped Ellis to grow into the leadership role.
Coach Barber prepared me for the responsibilities that came along with being the captain. He compared it to an upside down triangle. As you make your way to the top in leadership, you take on wider responsibility. When youre the captain, Coach Barber told me, Youve got to be accountable for everybody. I could tell that Coach didnt just care about what we could do for the program; he truly cared about us as people. He hopes to see his players develop into better men who will someday make great husbands and great fathers.
Jack Trager, a former Athletic Director at Greenville College, also took a special interest in Ellis. Trager served as a mentor to Ellis during his senior year. Ellis credits both Barber and Trager for the spiritual growth he experienced as a Panther.
They are both older gentlemen who have been there and have seen many young men cross their paths. They showed me so many different things, says Ellis.
Ellis has stayed in touch with his former teammates. When hes not working his day job or working out or practicing with the Pioneers, he still finds time to make it to the occasional Panther home game.
I left Greenville College with a lot of great memories. I had fun, and I made a lot of great friends along the way. My teammates became brothers to me. Wed go to battle together on the court. It was better than any fraternity.
Ellis enjoyed his first start as a Pioneer when his team played the Missouri Rhythm on Sunday, February 13. Ellis scored 21 points during the game. He sees his opportunity to play with the Pioneers as an important learning experience.
Im playing as a shooting guard behind two guys with overseas and professional experience. Im picking up different moves from them. Im learning not to rush my shot and to take my time. Even though theyre both veteran players, I still get a nice amount of playing time.
Pioneers Coach Mark Stricker has also helped Ellis improve his game. Ellis says, Coach gets on me if I make a mistake, but he is always focused on helping me improve. Like a teacher, he shows me how to fix it when Ive got it wrong. I think I have a great situation with the Pioneers.
In the future, Ellis hopes to play overseas or even in the NBA Development League. He sees the ABA as a great place to start, but he wants to take his game to the next level.
Last Tuesday, Ellis was featured on Channel 5s Show Me St. Louis. You can watch the video here.
The Pioneers play their home games at St. Louis Community College at Meramec. Admission is $10 for adults and free for kids 12 and under. Read more about the St. Louis Pioneers here.
