Say A Prayer For LeRoy Ellis

J

jerseyshorejohnny

Well-known member
 Heard today that former St. John's great LeRoy Ellis is in a hospice in Portland, Oregon.

LeRoy was a member of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. He played 14 seasons in the NBA.
 
Sad to hear. He is before my time but if I am not mistaken his son LeRon played at Syracuse in the 90s.  
 
I pray for healing for Leroy. Watched him shoot hundreds of putbacks every day on the outside baskets on the Hillcrest campus. 
 
 Wil say some prayers for leroy . he played in the first SJU game I attended at Alumni Hall back in 1961 . at one time he had the record for most games played in the NBA .
 
We all know that hospice means the end it near. Thanks for the memories and may the Lord be kind to you. 
 
 I recall a fampus photo of Lee holding a boquet of violets at the end of an important game with NYU (they were a top 5 ranked team) in the Garden. He was a senior and the cheerleaders huddled around him and presented the flowers. It was all joy for Lee and it won us a spot in the NCAA's which we had eshewed many times in that recent past to go to the NIT. The NCAA opener was played at MSG! Probably not the first time but I think it was the last time.
We drew Wake Forest and they whipped us with Billy Packer at point guard ( he really never forgot that moment when we talked of it 35 years later with joy and respect) and Bill Chimelewski at center (I think) but whoever he was, held Lee all night long to get the win. I often thought the Garden game was a one time NCAA gift to StJ for comitting to the NCAA. We did play in the NCAA far morew frequently from then on but I really think the impetus for doing so was the payday.
Then, for winning the NIT, which we did a lot, the school got $25,000; for losing the NCAA in the first round, we got the same $25,000! I remember losing a lot of first rounds in the NCAA's in the next ten years and always thought it was a little payback for helping keep the NIT alive and well.
In one year, in the very late 50's, that the NCAA Championship was televized on tape delay late at night so that the country could see the NIT at the Garden.
 
Yet another Redmen great -- really great -- who's been overlooked by the university. Could we not have honored him in the yet-to-come Year 2 of our legacy players in, say, 2006 or 2007, when he could basked in the spotlight a little? What the hell does it take to give our greats the appreciation they're due? Is the university telling us that in the long, storied history of St. John's basketball, only 10 players/coaches are worthy of being honored?

I've been complaining about this for seemingly forever, but can someone please explain the school's position on this to me? Is it a matter of money (how much does an oversized jersey cost)? Do they just not care? Nothing p-sses me off more than how much we turn our backs on the Leroy Ellises, George Johnsons, John Warrens, etc. Totally inexcusable.
 
Yet another Redmen great -- really great -- who's been overlooked by the university. Could we not have honored him in the yet-to-come Year 2 of our legacy players in, say, 2006 or 2007, when he could basked in the spotlight a little? What the hell does it take to give our greats the appreciation they're due? Is the university telling us that in the long, storied history of St. John's basketball, only 10 players/coaches are worthy of being honored?

I've been complaining about this for seemingly forever, but can someone please explain the school's position on this to me? Is it a matter of money (how much does an oversized jersey cost)? Do they just not care? Nothing p-sses me off more than how much we turn our backs on the Leroy Ellises, George Johnsons, John Warrens, etc. Totally inexcusable.
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Everything's a matter of money when it comes to honoring our past players and coaches. My nephew was responsible for having the baseball field named after Jack Kaiser, only after he was told to find the money. Of course, fundraising was necessary. 
 
Yet another Redmen great -- really great -- who's been overlooked by the university. Could we not have honored him in the yet-to-come Year 2 of our legacy players in, say, 2006 or 2007, when he could basked in the spotlight a little? What the hell does it take to give our greats the appreciation they're due? Is the university telling us that in the long, storied history of St. John's basketball, only 10 players/coaches are worthy of being honored?

I've been complaining about this for seemingly forever, but can someone please explain the school's position on this to me? Is it a matter of money (how much does an oversized jersey cost)? Do they just not care? Nothing p-sses me off more than how much we turn our backs on the Leroy Ellises, George Johnsons, John Warrens, etc. Totally inexcusable.
Click to expand...
 

Everything's a matter of money when it comes to honoring our past players and coaches. My nephew was responsible for having the baseball field named after Jack Kaiser, only after he was told to find the money. Of course, fundraising was necessary. 
Click to expand...
 

Was fundraising required in order to honor our initial 10 Legacy players/coaches? Besides, If that's the university's position, it's a pathetically weak one.
 
A couple of months we had a great debate on here who was the greatest big man in SJU history, based on their college and pro careers, it wound up being Leroy versus Paultz, I forgot who the poster was but he convinced me that Leroy was the better of the big men and in fact the greatest center in SJU history. 
 
 We all for Leroy Ellis who was the center in the history of St.johns Basketball.We all know that his life is hanging on by a thread being in.Hospice in Portland...
 
 Chimelewski (sp) played for Dayton which also came in the NIT back then. Could have been Len Chappelle.
Saw LeRoy many times and will remember him as the most filled Redmen center so far.
 
An anecdotal story about LeRoy.......

I went to the Schermerhorn campus and we had a quanset hut cafeteria in back of the tall "skyscraper" that was our school.I was in my junior year just having returned from active duty - I split college into two sections coming back after three years of service and LeRoy was a Sophomore but he was already a force in our lineup. Definitely the quickest and most active defensive center we have ever had-bar none. I hope as a sidebar that this new unsigned kid is half as good as LeRoy.

I'm sitting eating lunch and who sits across from me but Leroy. I had never met him before but he said he saw me eating alone and would I mind him joining me. We had a great conversation.

This was not a self important guy. Not a prima donna. He was one of us, a city kid who loved playing basketball. And when LeRoy smiled on the court - which he did often - I think even opposing fans could'nt help smiling at the big guy.
 
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