<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Warriors' second-year guard has endured a tough life only to emerge as a steady force in his family and on the court By Marcus Thompson II CONTRA COSTA TIMES When you've grown up in poverty, as did Warriors second-year guard Monta Ellis, the struggles of the NBA aren't intimidating. When you've been the glue for your entire family since you've been in the eighth grade, keeping it together on the court doesn't seem so hard. When you've watched tragedy devour your big brother, your role model, defending Kobe Bryant doesn't seem so daunting. See, basketball is the easy part. "When you come from the background I come from, and you've seen the things I've seen ... That's why I look at things the way I look at them," Ellis, 21, said, pausing to stare into nowhere. "It's basketball, just on another level." The thing you notice about Ellis -- after his skeletal frame and oozing talent -- is his poise. Ellis is either a master poker player or downright unflappable. Never mind that he was a big fish from a small Jackson, Miss., pond who jumped into the shark-infested waters of the NBA. Never mind that he is undersized for his position and already has a knee surgery to his name. There appears to be a distinct absence of doubt when he steps on the court. There's not a situation or player that intimidates him. Ellis has been molded by poverty, shaped by chaos, strengthened by struggle. He welcomes whatever challenges the NBA presents -- that includes the challenge of added responsibility the Warriors are prepared to lay on his shoulders. "He's got that mentality," Warriors guard Jason Richardson said. "When you go through things in your life, adversity, anything else that faces you is easy. It's the same things with him. It's so easy because he's been through a lot. He's got a lot of confidence." Back in 1997, when Ellis was in middle school, his brother, Antwain, was his role model. Antwain was a star basketball player at Lanier High School in Jackson, and Ellis was his protege. It was Antwain who got Ellis into hoops, who taught him to never back down from anyone. But Antwain watched his friend get shot and killed in a minor drug deal gone bad. The loss sent Antwain spiraling into a mental breakdown. His motivation and hope for basketball, for life, whittled away to the point that Antwain was emotionally incapacitated. As Ellis, who was in middle school at the time, watched his brother diminish, he transitioned from tag-along little brother to leader. With his younger brother LaMarcus, now 18, watching, Ellis assumed his brother's role as the family's pride and model of stability. There was a reason Ellis was able to avoid smoking marijuana and drinking, able to steer clear of crime and drug dealing. Along with his naturally introverted demeanor, Ellis had the pressure of representing the family properly. That pressure has only amplified now that he's a rising NBA star. "It kind of shocked me that it didn't intimidate him," Ellis' mother, Rosa, said of her son's jump to the NBA. "He said, 'Mama, I'm not afraid. I'll take a bunch of bumps and bruises, but I'll make it. I can handle it.' He wasn't afraid." When he came into the league straight from high school, after falling to the Warriors in the second round of the 2005 NBA draft, he wasn't threatened by the task of proving himself and earning the big contract. Going head-up against Richardson in practice wasn't intimidating. Not even star point guard Baron Davis' domineering presence fazed Ellis. When his first significant minutes in the NBA came at the Staples Center, he wasn't too shook to put up seven points and six rebounds in 31 minutes and frustrate Bryant with his defense. And now that the Warriors traded do-it-all guard Derek Fisher to make room for Ellis in the rotation, he said he isn't the least bit concerned about whether he can produce. See, basketball is the easy part. "Monta's special," Davis said. "It's only a handful of people that come along that know who they are and that believe in themselves. He believes in his talent. You can't shake his confidence. That's what being in the league is all about." For so long, the court has been his sanctuary. The turmoil was easier to manage, the problems easier to solve. Basketball kept him out of trouble, off the streets. Once the sun went down, it was too dangerous to go to the park to play. So he nailed a milk crate to a nearby pole to shoot hoops. His neighborhood was no worse than most 'hoods, but he had to be smart with his decisions and cognizant at all times. Home life could be equally straining. They never had much. Ellis, the middle of three brothers, said he used to have one pair of shoes for the entire year. Unlike his brothers, Ellis didn't have a relationship with his biological father. All he had was his mother and his grandmother. The only people close to Ellis, outside of his family, were his high school coach Thomas Billups, the uncle of Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups, his best friend and his high school sweetheart. Only his best friend remains in his life. Ellis said he felt betrayed by his coach, and no longer liked what he saw in his fiance. So he had to sever those ties. "Money will change anybody," Ellis said, summarizing his breakup with his coach. "Money will make friends, money will make enemies." His past experiences and current responsibilities help him differentiate between basketball and life, and their respective consequences. Fielding calls from family and friends asking for money, keeping his brothers in line, making sure his mother is protected, allowing his cousin to live with him in Alameda -- those are real responsibilities, intimidating tasks. And Ellis -- who turns 21 on Oct. 26 -- has had success in those ventures. He has been wise about how he distributes his salary, most of which is invested before he even touches it. His brother Antwain, 25, is doing better and is expected to join Rosa in the stands for the Warriors' season opener, his first time watching Ellis play live. His mother, now retired from her job as a prison guard, is as comfortable as she's ever been. Of his two cousins who live with him, one returned to college for football and the other is working. These real life triumphs, coupled with his remarkable talent, are enough to convince Ellis he can conquer the NBA. To him, there's nothing daunting about adjusting to coach Don Nelson's system, learning how to be an NBA point guard and transitioning from a promising role player to a reliable contributor. See, basketball is the easy part.</div> http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctime...rs/15716291.htm
Tough kid...i would really love to see him take over the point guard position when Baron is done. He's still young so he will be able to learn from other and get some knowledge from nelly
Thing I like about him is he went through all that in his young life and he's still a very humble kid with good manners. You see other NBA players who had hard lifes and they act all hardcore and stuff.
<div class="quote_poster">Run BJM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Mike Dunleavy Jr.?</div>lol You got a chuckle out of me.
Dunleavy sure tops Artest and Jackson. What a headcase! I guess for him, that's keeping it real! http://www.justbball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34519 http://www.justbball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50378
<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I guess for him, that's keeping it real! </div> That reminds me of the Dave Chapelle skit "When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong"
Just you wait... Dunleavy is going to be a hardcore baller this season. He'll be playing smashmouth D and tearing up the court with triple doubles.
<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Just you wait... Dunleavy is going to be a hardcore baller this season. He'll be playing smashmouth D and tearing up the court with triple doubles. </div> Dun as Dick Butkus? I'm suddenly a little less sure of the law of gravity.
What Monta is---is a "natural" he's wired for the game..it comes easy. Not that he's Oscar Robertson or Magic Johnson...but there's some rare stuff there.
