By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Former NBA standout Monta Ellis, who competed in the league for over a decade without playing NCAA basketball, is shifting to the collegiate ranks. Alcorn State announced Friday that he will serve as general manager for its men’s program. The move marks a major transition for the former guard, who wants to bring a new tier of recognition to the school. “This will be a big, big boost for the basketball side to get recognized,” remarked 40-year-old Ellis.
Before entering executive leadership, the Jackson, Mississippi native built a reputation as a dynamic scoring threat over a 12-season NBA journey. Drafted 40th overall in 2005 out of high school by the Golden State Warriors, he won the Most Improved Player award in 2007 and became a key player over seven years with the franchise. He also shared the court with a young Stephen Curry before the guard grew into the superstar who led the Warriors to multiple titles. In 2012, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“That’s what I dealt with. And people know that,” he reflected on his tenure, noting that those Warriors set the stage for future success. “Real people that know basketball and all that, they know that. They know the team that I was dealt with. If you switched me and Steph out with the team that won the championships, it’d be the same thing. So you’ve got to take the good with the bad, and that’s cool. It put me in a position to make money for me and my family. I ran with that.”
Following stints with the Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, and Indiana Pacers, Ellis finished his playing days in 2017 with a career total of 871 appearances.
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