Monta Ellis was born on October 26, 1985, in Jackson, Mississippi. He attended Lanier High School in his hometown, where he quickly gained recognition as one of the top high school basketball players in the country. In 2005, Ellis was named the Parade Magazine High School Co-Player of the Year alongside Greg Oden of Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. That same season, he was also honored as a USA Today All-American.
During his four years at Lanier, Ellis led the team to a remarkable 129–16 record. He scored a total of 4,167 points in his high school career, a record in the state of Mississippi. His outstanding play drew statewide attention, including recognition from The Clarion-Ledger, which named him Mississippi Mr. Basketball in 2005.
Ellis was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft. He began making an impact early in his rookie season, including hitting a three-point shot in a game against the Phoenix Suns. Over time, he earned a place in the starting lineup during the 2005–2006 NBA season.
In the 2006–2007 season, Ellis continued to develop his game and earned a spot in the NBA Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend. That same season, he was honored with the NBA Most Improved Player Award, having increased his scoring average from 6.8 to 16.5 points per game. Ellis played a key role in the Warriors' upset over the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. However, the team was eliminated in the following round by the Utah Jazz in a 4-1 series loss.
Ellis continued to emerge as a dominant scorer with the Warriors. On the anniversary of his first game-winning basket, he delivered another clutch shot — once again against the New Jersey Nets. In February 2008, Ellis became one of only a few guards in NBA history at the time to average at least 20 points per game while shooting 60 percent from the field over a single month. That exceptional play earned him the Western Conference Player of the Month award, presented to him by assistant coach and former NBA star Sidney Moncrief.
On August 15, 2008, Ellis suffered a severe ankle injury, initially reported to have occurred during an off-season training session. It was later revealed, however, that the injury was caused by a moped accident — a violation of his contract with the team. As a result, he was suspended for 30 games without pay. Despite the setback, Ellis returned to action in January 2009 and scored 20 points in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
| Net Worth 2021: | 31 million |
