Pervis Ellison (born April 3, 1967 in Savannah, Georgia) is a former college and professional basketball player.
Ellison was nicknamed "Never Nervous Pervis" for his play with the University of Louisville. At 6'9" (2.06m) and 210lb (95kg), he started all four years as the center under coach Denny Crum. In his freshman year he led Louisville to its second national championship and was named the most outstanding player, the first time a freshman had ever been given that honor.
Ellison was the overall #1 pick in the NBA Draft of 1989 and went to play for the Sacramento Kings. An injury kept him on the sidelines for his first year, after which he was traded to the Washington Bullets. Although he was a backup in 1990-1991, the following year he was a starter and earned most improved player honors by averaging 20 points per game.
Further injuries hampered his career, including two knee problems that kept him benched for 29 games in 1992-1993 and 30 games in 1993-1994. As a free agent, Ellison went to the Boston Celtics in 1994 but didn't play until midway through the season because he was still rehabilitating from knee problems. A broken toe kept him out of most games between 1996 and 1998. After playing 63 games in the following two years, he joined the Seattle SuperSonics in 2000 but retired after only 9 games.
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Last updated: 08-20-2005 02:02:38
