Last Updated on August 11, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Leroy Ellis built a long NBA career through hard work, rebounding, and a willingness to do the physical jobs that winning teams always need. He may not have been the flashiest player of his era, but his consistency and toughness helped him remain a respected frontcourt presence for well over a decade.

Here is the information about Leroy Ellis:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Leroy Ellis
  • Nickname: Not widely documented
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: March 10, 1940
  • Hometown: Far Rockaway, New York, USA
  • Height: 6 ft 10 in (208 cm)
  • Weight: 225 lbs (102 kg)
  • Wingspan: Not publicly documented
  • Shoe Size: Not publicly documented
  • Jersey Number(s):
    • #34 — Baltimore Bullets
    • #44 — Los Angeles Lakers
    • #31 — Portland Trail Blazers
    • College numbers not reliably documented
  • Position: Power Forward / Center
  • High School: Far Rockaway High School (New York)
  • College: St. John’s University
  • NBA Draft:
    • Team: Los Angeles Lakers
    • Year: 1962
    • Pick: 5th overall
  • Player Archetype: Rebounding-focused interior big
  • Primary Offensive Role: Interior finisher and secondary option around the rim
  • Defensive Role: Paint protector and strong positional rebounder
  • Play Style:
    • Physical presence inside
    • Focused on rebounding, putbacks, and close-range scoring
    • Played within structured team systems
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right-handed
  • Athletic Profile:
    • Strong frame with good length for his era
    • Not overly explosive but effective through positioning and strength
  • Recruiting Status: Historically recruited (pre-modern rankings era)
  • Draft Status Detail:
    • First-round pick (5th overall) in 1962
    • Highly productive collegiate big man transitioning to NBA frontcourt role
  • Injury Status Category: No widely documented major career-altering injuries
  • Career Stage: Retired (deceased)
  • Comparison Style: Similar to traditional rebounding bigs who prioritized physicality and interior control
  • Teams Played For:
    • Los Angeles Lakers (1962–1964)
    • Baltimore Bullets (1964–1967)
    • Portland Trail Blazers (1970–1971)
    • Philadelphia 76ers (1971–1972)
    • Chicago Bulls (1972–1973)
  • Championship Rings:
    • 1× NBA Champion — 1972 (Philadelphia 76ers)
  • Parents: Not publicly documented
  • Children: Not widely documented
  • Siblings: Not publicly documented
  • Retirement Age: 33
  • Retirement Year: 1973

Player Archetype / Play Style

Leroy Ellis’s player archetype was that of a rebounding-focused interior big, built around physicality and consistency in the paint. Defensively, he served as a positional anchor, using strength and awareness to control the glass and contest inside scoring without relying on elite shot-blocking numbers. Offensively, Ellis operated primarily as a low-usage interior finisher, converting close-range opportunities, cleaning up misses, and fitting into structured team offenses rather than creating his own shot. His physical traits—standing 6’10” with a solid, durable frame—allowed him to battle effectively against opposing bigs throughout his career. Overall, his play style was grounded in effort, rebounding discipline, and reliability, making him a valuable supporting piece on competitive rosters.

Scouting Report

Leroy Ellis had a way of making the game feel calmer than it actually was because he rarely wasted movement or forced himself into possessions that didn’t suit him. He operated like a steady interior connector, setting hard screens, carving out deep post position when the opportunity was there and flowing naturally into short jumpers or controlled finishes without hunting difficult shots. What stands out is how well he understood the timing of offensive actions. He didn’t just screen and stop; he’d pivot into open space, seal a rotating defender or drift into the soft area around the foul line where a simple catch kept the offense alive instead of resetting everything. That feel carried over defensively. Ellis wasn’t chasing blocks or flying into passing lanes, but he consistently beat bigger scoring threats to their preferred spots, absorbed contact with balance and rotated from the weak side early enough to discourage drives before they reached the rim. It’s easy to overlook how many possessions he ended simply by securing the rebound cleanly and denying second chances. The trade-off was that he wasn’t equipped to defend extended possessions far from the basket against quicker forwards who wanted to attack off the dribble, and he wasn’t creating offense late in the shot clock if the initial action broke down. His value came from making sure the first action worked in the first place. Put him alongside perimeter creators who needed dependable screening and interior stability, and his impact became much more noticeable than his scoring totals suggested. To me, his game falls somewhere between Jack Marin’s understated offensive efficiency and Tom Boerwinkle’s knack for keeping possessions organized through positioning and timely decisions, even if he leaned more toward physical interior play than either comparison at different points. — Mat Diekhake, HeatingUp

Fun Facts

  • He was known for his versatility as a big man and contributed to the Los Angeles Lakers’ historic 1971–72 championship team, which achieved a record 33-game winning streak.
  • After retiring, Ellis was involved in youth basketball and mentoring young players.

Sources:
St. John’s University Athletics — Leroy Ellis Bio
NBA.com — Leroy Ellis Player Profile
Find a Grave — Leroy Ellis Memorial