Leroy Ellis Dies at 72 From Cancer: Had A 'Soft Touch' (PHOTOS)
Former NBA player Leroy Ellis of the Los Angeles Lakers passed away Saturday after battling cancer.
A former center on the L.A. Lakers, Ellis passed Saturday at the age of 72 in Portland, Oregon. A graduate of St. John's University in New York, Ellis played over 14 seasons with the NBA, becoming the Round 1 pick by the L.A. Lakers in 1962. Later in his career, Ellis also played for the Baltimore Bullets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Philadelphia 76ers.
Over his career, Ellis amassed over 10,176 points and 8,709 rebounds and continued to play basketball for the love of the sport, even after his NBA career was over.
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Born in Brooklyn, Ellis still holds the St. John's "single-season record for rebounding with an average of 16.5 in his junior year, and the record for most rebounds in a game with 30 against NYU on Dec. 30, 1961" according to Fox Sports.
''For a big guy, he was awfully quick. You can never catch him,'' St. John's Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca told Fox. ''He had a soft touch and was a good rebounder. He was a quiet guy, you never knew he was around. But when he was on the court, you always knew.''
Ellis also earned records while playing as a starter for the Portland Trail Blazers. He became the team's third best scorer and the leading rebounder averaging 12.3 per game, the third-best average in the Blazers' first three decades, according to the NBA website.
''LeRoy Ellis was a very important member of the first Trail Blazers team and was a very high-class individual,'' Trail Blazers Founder and President Emeritus Harry Glickman said. ''We extend our deepest sympathy to his family.''
The 6'10" player died at 72, after facing a long battle with cancer.
