I've never thought Monta Ellis to be a 'talker' judging by his demeanor on the court with teammates. His And 1 spotsdon't quite convince you either. But may be they just weren't asking him the right questions at the right time. Interviewed at a fundraising event for his ME8Foundation -- providing service work for various community needs -- in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, Ellis talks marriage, family, and community. With some time to reflect, we get to know a little bit more about the often-silent Monta Ellis.
Todd Kelly of ClarionLedger.com reports about why family and community matter so much to #8, Monta Ellis:
"Having my son changed my life (as far as) being a better person," Ellis said. "I never had my father in my life, so I wanted to do the opposite of what I was around. Going home and seeing him and my wife after going through something bad on the basketball court ... I walk in my house and it's a relief. I can sit there and laugh and play and relax and not think about basketball. I get a chance to be in a great environment."
Monta Ellis then shares a bit about his commitment to Jackson, Mississippi:
"It's something I've been talking about for the last few years," said Ellis, who's entering his sixth season in the NBA. "This is the first year I've really had a chance to break it down. I wanted to do more, but I had a lot going on this summer so I couldn't piece it all together. It's basically for the (causes of) underprivileged kids and breast cancer."
Given the proximity between Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee, you wonder whether Monta will become the hometown hero both off and on the courts:
"I think that was a rumor," said Ellis, who missed 18 games last season due to a sprained knee, ailing back and the flu. "The deal was with the (Golden State) players who got traded. I don't think it ever was with me.
"I'm happy where I am ... It's like when I talked to (Curry) this summer. The only thing we can do now is play basketball. I thought we did a great job last season, but we didn't get the wins. They (Warriors management) got us a lot of new pieces (including All-Star forward David Lee from the New York Knicks). Hopefully, we can stick them together and plug up the holes (that) we've been missing."