The Run Overtime: Keon Ellis’ Journey to the NBA

The Run Overtime: Keon Ellis’ Journey to the NBA

[Music] comes off the curl takes the takes for the dribble knocked away steal Ellis keon Ellis the confidence he has and the swag that he brings to this team for a young guy that was on a two-way in February it’s unbelievable he’s just built for it he understands like the work that has to be done keon is a is a spark plug he is someone that comes out and is is untouched by the moment
he works extremely extremely hard he he loves the game that what set him apart he had the utmost belief in himself and he still does and I feel like that’s evident with just where he was and where he is now kon was quiet humble um easygoing very very driven by his own thoughts and ideas of what he wanted out of his life growing up he loved basketball like Ken would be outside in the back of the house early in the morning like 6:30 7:00 bouncing the basketball against the side of the house like just waking everybody up just cuz he’s just trying to work up his handles and he kind of saw the game differently uh than I did at that age he’s I mean such an awesome kid laidback uh we work hard you know all he really cared about was uh you know video games and playing a game of basketball that was his joy uh with my time with Keon it was great coaching Keon at first you know he came in he was a lot a little shy he’s trying to fit in and stuff like that but then once he got himself together uh he became a great player you know he a hard worker you know gym rat stayed in the gym all the time and stuff like that
i mean his journey is just amazing went from high school basketball where he had to transfer from us to Leburg win a state championship awesome i had a couple of division one offers at the last second like the school stopped they stopped reaching out i really was just like I think I’ll just go to a jo and and just do two years and and then I’ll go somewhere else and you know transfer and the process of going to Alabama which was awesome uh didn’t really think he was going to play that much there you know proving proving itself uh time and time again welcome to the 2022 NBA draft let’s get this party started
came time for a draft and when his name wasn’t called when we thought it was going to be called it was a a bit of a a shock i knew that I belonged like I I knew that I was better than players that were called before me and reoccurring theme of me growing up like you just kind of have to keep showing people and keep showing keep showing so it was going to be basketball for me i I didn’t really have a a plan B growing up it was like basketball’s just going to work out like I didn’t I didn’t have any any other thing going for me so undrafted free agent Keon Ellis out of Alabama has agreed to a two-way contract you know there’s going to be obstacles um you might feel like it’s it’s over with you just got to keep going it’s not all it’s not all going to happen in one night looks like he’ll split time between Stockton and Sacramento it’s important to be one of the best players out there in the G- League if you do want to get to the next level and he started showing that on both ends of the floor he was in an incredibly difficult position last year he didn’t really know what his role was going to be there were some injuries there were some opportunities and he stepped up in huge moments by the end of the season last year in March when the Kings are playing meaningful games Keon Ellis in the starting lineup and impacting the Kings defense in a major way your 652 guard from Alabama number 23 Keon and with every level that he went to it was like another reality check of just like remembering him saying that this is what I’m going to do this is how I’m going to live my life this is where I’m going to be and it was kind of like a reality check each time i was like “Wow he’s doing it.” Like “Wow.”
Still patient but also believe and I think with him being calm it made it a lot easier for all of us he can impact the way the four guys around him feel and how they play just by his demeanor and his personality he’s a beast uh as a teammate he’s I feel like he’s going to put defense first and you really know you have someone that can have your back with him on defense here come the Grizzlies bane head ball oh my god keon Ellis is one of the top on ball defenders in the NBA and he’s going to be one of the keys to Sacramento being a top 10 defense or maybe a notch below that but I really think that uh that’s really what he catalyzes for this team ellos a clean look and he laces another three got the block on Anthony ellis for three wow oh there you go that’s an A+ move out of the G- League
the first time that I played in Orlando I ended up playing well all of my family was there to support so um just a just a great night and I’ll definitely remember that one i love the person that you have turned into i am so proud of you i’m proud of the perseverance that you have had um proud of the person that you are striving to be um continue to be humble continue to have a heart continue to be there for others continue to love God and then yourself continue to be there for your family and just know that God is with you god is with you with everything you do and I will forever be with you with everything you do

Keon Ellis was built for the big stage and now, he’s taking full advantage of it. Learn about Keon’s journey to the association and how is hard work earned him there.

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