Just hours after arriving here this week, Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington was in a familiar place.
By 7 a.m. Friday, he was on the Staples Center court hoisting up 3-pointers. The early-rise workouts have been a mainstay throughout his career. They are a direct product of his father, Wayne Sr., who always made sure he never forgot to put in extra work.
“He always called me,” Ellington said. “Every time I would talk to him during the day, he may be at work or something, and he would ask me, `Did you get your jumpers up today?”’
Although those conversations are now just a memory, they still remain with Ellington. His father was murdered in 2014 after an altercation in Philadelphia. It is why Ellington is somewhat bittersweet about competing during NBA All-Star Weekend for the first time.
He will participate in Saturday’s 3-point contest, but the man who put a basketball in his hands as a 5-year-old isn’t around to witness it.
“I know he’s looking down on me with a huge smile on his face,” Ellington said. “This is something he would have really wanted for me and been so happy and so proud to see me doing. It’s definitely in my mind, as I go through all this stuff, I know he’s with me, though, and that’s the great thing about it.”
Ellington’s life forever changed Nov. 9, 2014 when police found his father behind the wheel of his car and with two gunshot wounds to the head. He was 57.
The motive of the shooting was unclear but Carl White pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.
“Sometimes, I’m at peace with it and then sometimes it will hit me,” Ellington said. “It’ll affect me. In order to get through it, I’ve realized that I have to be strong not only for myself but for my family. In order for us to get to through it, that’s to continue to keep pushing and keep striving like he’d want us to do.”
Ellington coped by turning tragedy to inspiration. The anger was taken out mostly on the court and he made a stronger commitment to basketball. Ellington’s 3-point totals have improved every year since the incident and he has already made a career-high 168 from behind the arc this season.
“His father’s death was very difficult to deal with,” said Ellington’s mother, Elaine, who has been a strong source of support. “His change was that he was at a point in his life he chose to focus on his basketball skills. Although we were all very sad about it, he chose to better himself.”
The birth of Ellington’s first son has also eased the pain. Wayne Ellington III, who will turn 1 next month, has made the trip to Los Angeles even more special. At times, he can forget about the hurt from the past. As Ellington says, his son puts a smile on his face no matter what is happening in life.
“I’m telling you, he’s amazing,” Ellington said. “I honestly can see my dad in him. My dad was always saying, `Man, I can’t wait to meet my grandson.’ This was before my son was even thought about. He was just so excited about me having a son and him having a grandson. He couldn’t wait for that to happen and it’s unfortunate that he didn’t get to meet my son and be a part of his life. I’ll make sure that I explain to my son the history of my father and he’ll be a part of my son’s life without being here.”
Ellington has been so entrenched in preparing for the contest he’s yet to decide what he will inscribe on his shoes for the competition. Before games, he often writes an inspirational message in tribute to his father.
“I haven’t thought about it,” Ellington said. “I’ve been so focused on the bigger picture. I know he’d be so proud of me bringing that trophy back to Miami. I’ve just been in locked in on that. I haven’t gotten there yet. He’s with me either way.”
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