As an NBA shooting guard with the Miami Heat, Wayne Ellington did not just turn into a basketball pro overnight, he started grooming himself right from his college days when he played 3 years of college basketball with the Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina, this saw him win the NCAA Championship.
After his three years of outstanding college basketball, he abandoned the remaining one year of college eligibility and was drafted as the 28th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Let’s take you through this shooting guard’s life and career as you read on.
Wayne Ellington Bio
The well-known professional American basketball player was named Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. after he was birthed in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania on the 29th of November and in the year 1987. Wayne Ellington attended Daniel Boone High school in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania but later moved to Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pennsylvania where he graduated in 2006, and then proceeded to the University of North Carolina where he played college basketball.
At the University of North Carolin, Wayne led his team the Tar Heels to the National Championships, where they defeated the Michigan State Spartans in an 89–72 victory. He got a spot on the All-Tournament Team and earned the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player title amongst other prestigious recognition. His final year of college eligibility did not materialize as the rising star opted to declare for the NBA Draft in 2009.
Wayne started his professional basketball after being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA draft where he was selected as the 28th overall pick. In his first season for the Timberwolves, he recorded an average of 6.6 points per game alongside 2.1 rebounds. He was traded to Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the player Dante Cunningham after playing for the team for 3 years. On January 7, 2013, Wayne Ellington recorded a new career-high with 26 points in a 113–81 victory against the Sacramento Kings, however, after a few days, he was traded to Cleveland for the forward player Jon Leuer.
Wayne did not stay for quite long with Cleveland as he soon signed with the Dallas Mavericks on July 26, 2013. After one year with the Mavericks, he was traded to Los Angeles Lakers for one season during which he played a total of 65 games and was eventually laid off. Wayne’s next team was the Brooklyn Nets where he scored season-high 26 points and emerged the winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for 2015/2016 given by the Pro Basketball Writers Association.
Wayne signed with the Miami Heat after one year with the Brooklyn Nets on July 10, 2016, and he made his debut match for his new team on November 28, 2016, after recovering from a thigh injury. The player is also known to have pulled off fine records with the Heat. In view of that, it is hardly a surprise he was resigned by the side sometime in July 2018.
His Salary and Net Worth
Wayne Ellington has acquired huge wealth from his basketball career as sources have it that he earns a base salary of $6,270,000 and his net worth has been estimated to be $10 million.
Wayne is ranked as the 9th best-paid player for the Miami Heat as of 2018 and on the NBA salary ranking, he holds the 186th spot among the best paid NBA players. Also, he sits at the 81st position as the best-paid shooting guard.
Wife/Girlfriend and Family Facts
The American basketball player comes from an African-American ethnicity. He was born to Elaine Ellington who is his mother and Wayne Ellington Sr. – his father. However, Wayne tragically lost his father in November 2014 after he got shot in Philadelphia.
With regards to his marital status, Wayne Ellington is a married man and his wife’s name is Safie Khaled who was his longtime girlfriend. The couple welcomed their child on 22 March 2017.
Wayne Ellington Body Stats
The NBA star is a fine athlete with a great physique that boasts of his height of 6 ft 4 inches (1.93 m) and a bodyweight of 91 kg. Other details of his body measurements are hard to come by.
The American basketballer has a solid social media presence as he is active on Twitter and Instagram where he has amassed a huge fan base.
