Mario Elie

Mario Elie

Elie in 2008
Personal information
Born	(1963-11-26) November 26, 1963 (age 60) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school	Power Memorial (Manhattan, New York)
College	American International (1981–1985)
NBA draft	1985: 7th round, 160th overall pick
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Playing career	1986–2001
Position	Shooting guard / small forward
Number	8, 20, 17
Coaching career	2003–2016
Career history
As player:
1986–1987	Killester
1987	Miami Tropics
1987	Unión de Santa Fe
1987–1989	Ovarense
1989–1991	Albany Patroons
1990–1991	Philadelphia 76ers
1991–1992	Golden State Warriors
1992–1993	Portland Trail Blazers
1993–1998	Houston Rockets
1998–2000	San Antonio Spurs
2000–2001	Phoenix Suns
As coach:
2003–2004	San Antonio Spurs (assistant)
2004–2006	Golden State Warriors (assistant)
2007–2009	Dallas Mavericks (assistant)
2009–2011	Sacramento Kings (assistant)
2011–2013	New Jersey / Brooklyn Nets (assistant)
2015–2016	Orlando Magic (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
3× NBA champion (1994, 1995, 1999) Irish National Cup champion (1987) Irish League Player of the Year (1987) Portuguese League champion (1988) Portuguese Super Cup winner (1988) Portuguese Cup winner (1989) CBA All-Star (1990) All-CBA First Team (1991)
Career NBA statistics
Points	6,265 (8.6 ppg)
Rebounds	2,017 (2.8 rpg)
Assists	1,875 (2.6 apg)
Stats   at NBA.com
Stats   at Basketball-Reference.com

Mario Antoine Elie (born November 26, 1963) is an American former professional basketball coach and player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Elie grew up in New York City and played college basketball at American International College, before being drafted in the seventh round of the 1985 NBA draft as the 160th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Elie began his professional basketball career with Ireland's Killester in 1986. He went on to play in Portugal and Argentina, as well as in the USBL, CBA and WBL. Elie first played in the NBA in 1990 for the Philadelphia 76ers and went on to play for the Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns. A role player known for his defense and toughness, Elie won three NBA championships: two with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995, and one with the Spurs in 1999.

Elie began his coaching career in 2003 as an assistant with the Spurs, and later held similar positions with the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, and Orlando Magic.

Early life

Elie, who is of Haitian heritage, was born and raised in the Manhattan borough of New York City. ^{[1] [2]} He was named "Mario" for opera singer Mario Lanza. ^[3]

Elie attended Power Memorial Academy. After being cut from the freshman basketball team, Elie made the junior varsity team the following season; one of his teammates was future NBA star Chris Mullin. ^[3]

Early career

After Division I schools failed to recruit him, Elie played college basketball at the Division II level for American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. ^[3] He led AIC to the NCAA Division II Tournament Quarter-Final ^[4] and became the school's all-time leading scorer. ^[3] He was selected with the 160th pick (out of 162 total) in the 1985 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, ^[5] but was cut from the team during training camp. ^[6]

In 1986, Elie started his professional career in Ireland with Killester, where he won Player of the Year honors. ^[7] Elie played for the USBL's Miami Tropics, ^[8] Elie played eight games in Argentina with Unión de Santa Fe. ^{[9] [10]} He then spent two seasons in Portugal with Ovarense, helping them win their first national title. ^[11] He spent two seasons with the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1989 to 1991, ^[12] earning All-CBA First Team honors in 1991. ^[13]

NBA career

In December 1990, he made his NBA debut, joining the Philadelphia 76ers on a 10-day contract. ^[14] He played three games for the 76ers between December 28 and January 2. ^[15] In February 1991, he joined the Golden State Warriors, ^[14] where he remained for the rest of the 1990–91 season as well as the 1991–92 season. ^[16] Elie spent the 1992–93 season with the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Houston Rockets prior to the 1993–94 season. ^[16]

Elie won two NBA championships with the Rockets, in 1994 and 1995. ^[3] During this period, Elie was dubbed the "Junkyard Dog" by his teammates. ^[6] One highlight of Elie's career came when he hit a game-winning three-pointer in Game 7 of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns to break a tie with 7.1 seconds. The shot is called the "Kiss of Death" by Rockets fans, as Elie made a taunting kissing gesture towards the Suns' bench after the shot. ^[17] While Elie was a key role player for the Rockets off the bench throughout the regular season and the playoffs, he became a starter in the 1995 NBA Finals. This move paid off for the Rockets, as Elie averaged 16.3 points per game in the Finals while shooting 65% from the field. ^{[18] [19]}

Elie played for the Rockets through the 1997–98 season and then signed with the San Antonio Spurs, where he played for two seasons. ^[20] The Spurs reportedly signed Elie in an effort to add "nastiness" to their team. Elie started for the Spurs for much of the season. ^[18] With Elie, the Spurs won their first-ever NBA championship in 1999. ^[21]

After playing the 2000–01 season for the Phoenix Suns, ^[16] Elie retired. ^[22] He finished his career with 6,265 points in 732 NBA games. ^[5]

In 2007, Elie was inducted into the New York Basketball Hall of Fame. He has been named one of the top ten players in Houston Rockets history. ^[23]

During his playing career, Elie was a role player who performed well in clutch situations. ^{[24] [6]} He had a reputation as a tough defender, a fierce competitor, ^[3] and an accurate outside shooter. ^[20]

Coaching career

On September 28, 2007, Elie was hired by the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach. ^[25] He served with the Mavericks for one season. On June 22, 2009, Paul Westphal hired Elie as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings. ^[26] On December 8, 2011, Elie was added to former teammate Avery Johnson's coaching staff with the New Jersey Nets. ^[27] On June 26, 2015, he was hired by the Orlando Magic as an assistant coach. ^[28]

Personal life

Elie is married to Gina Gaston, a journalist and anchorwoman for Houston's Channel ABC13. Elie and Gaston have triplets. ^{[29] [30] [31]}

Elie speaks four languages: English and French from growing up in a Haitian-Creole household, Portuguese from playing pro basketball in Portugal, and Spanish from playing in Argentina. ^[32]

In December 2010, Elie was arrested in Sacramento, California for allegedly driving while intoxicated. ^{[33] [34]}

NBA career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high
†	Won an NBA championship

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1990–91	Philadelphia	3	0	6.7	.286	.500	.500	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0	2.0
1990–91	Golden State	30	0	20.8	.507	.375	.500	3.6	1.5	0.6	0.3	7.7
1991–92	Golden State	79	32	21.2	.521	.329	.852	2.9	2.2	0.9	0.2	7.8
1992–93	Portland	82	7	21.4	.458	.349	.855	2.6	2.2	0.9	0.2	8.6
1993–94†	Houston	67	8	24.0	.446	.355	.860	2.7	3.1	0.7	0.1	9.3
1994–95†	Houston	81	13	23.4	.499	.398	.842	2.4	2.3	0.8	0.1	8.8
1995–96	Houston	45	16	30.8	.504	.323	.852	3.4	3.1	1.0	0.2	11.1
1996–97	Houston	78	77	34.4	.497	.420	.896	3.0	4.0	1.2	0.2	11.7
1997–98	Houston	73	59	27.2	.452	.291	.833	2.1	3.0	1.1	0.1	8.4
1998–99†	San Antonio	47	37	27.5	.471	.374	.866	2.9	1.9	1.0	0.3	9.7
1999–00	San Antonio	79	79	28.1	.427	.398	.846	3.2	2.4	0.9	0.1	7.5
2000–01	Phoenix	68	67	22.1	.423	.360	.797	2.3	1.9	0.9	0.2	4.4
Career		732	395	25.5	.473	.365	.854	2.8	2.6	0.9	0.2	8.6

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1991	Golden State	9	7	21.9	.500	1.000	.844	3.6	1.4	0.6	0.1	9.3
1992	Golden State	4	2	20.0	.639	1.000	.667	5.5	2.5	1.3	0.0	12.5
1993	Portland	4	0	13.0	.500	1.000	.889	1.5	1.0	0.5	0.3	5.0
1994†	Houston	23	0	16.6	.396	.313	.851	1.7	1.7	0.3	0.1	5.8
1995†	Houston	22	6	28.9	.504	.431	.795	2.8	2.5	1.0	0.0	9.1
1996	Houston	8	0	29.1	.439	.375	.917	2.8	1.8	0.9	0.4	9.8
1997	Houston	16	16	37.4	.466	.400	.839	3.5	3.8	0.9	0.3	11.5
1998	Houston	5	1	26.6	.444	.333	.667	2.6	1.2	0.4	0.0	6.6
1999†	San Antonio	17	17	30.9	.384	.267	.837	3.5	2.9	1.3	0.1	7.9
2000	San Antonio	4	4	28.8	.273	.143	.944	4.3	1.8	1.3	0.0	7.5
2001	Phoenix	4	4	25.8	.452	.154	.750	3.3	1.8	0.8	0.3	9.0
Career		116	57	26.3	.452	.367	.836	2.9	2.3	0.8	0.1	8.5

References

1. Michael Norton (August 16, 1999). "#2654: AP story: Haiti Athletic soccer school (fwd)". Associated Press . Retrieved July 5, 2020.
2. Christopher Hunt (December 6, 2011). "Nets add Mario Elie, P.J. Carlesimo". NBA on ESPN . Retrieved July 5, 2020.
3. Kurkjian, Tim (March 3, 1997). "GAINING A FOOTHOLD HARDWORKING MARIO ELIE HAS BECOME THE ROCKETS' UNSUNG HERO—AND ACE SHOE SALESMAN". Sports Illustrated.
4. "The History of the Northeast-10 Conference". Northeast-10 Conference. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
5. "1985 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
6. Kurkjian, Tim. "GAINING A FOOTHOLD HARDWORKING MARIO ELIE HAS BECOME THE ROCKETS' UNSUNG HERO—AND ACE SHOE SALESMAN". Vault.
7. Binkley, Lachard (January 14, 2020). "P.J. Tucker is like Rockets' great Mario Elie in more than just jersey number". Spacecityscoop.com. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
8. Blinebury, Fran (July 24, 2015). "Elie back where he belongs". Sporting News. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
9. "La particular historia del tirador Mario Elie". www.lanacion.com.ar. April 20, 1999.
10. "La Capital ::: on line". archivo.lacapital.com.ar.
11. "Mario Elie e Carlos Lisboa animam "NBA Jam Session"". www.record.pt.
12. "Mario Elie signs with Suns". UPI. September 15, 2000. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
13. "Mario Elie minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
14. "Mario Elie Player Profile". basketball.realgm.com.
15. "Mario Elie 1990–91 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com.
16. "Mario Elie Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
17. Rajan, Greg (February 9, 2017). "Two decades later, Mario Elie's 'Kiss' still resonates for Rockets fans". Houston Chronicle.
18. Broussard, Chris (June 14, 1999). "N.B.A. FINALS; Elie Gives the Spurs Their Edge" . Retrieved March 16, 2020– via NYTimes.com.
19. "1995 NBA Finals – Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic". Basketball-Reference.com.
20. Schultz, Dan (February 10, 2011). "Manu Ginobili and the 10 Greatest Guards in San Antonio Spurs History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
21. McDonald, Jeff (June 20, 2019). "The Spirit of '99: An oral history of the Spurs' first NBA championship". San Antonio Express-News.
22. Young, Jabari (February 1, 2016). "Off-topic conversation: Mario Elie". ExpressNews.com.
23. Bracken, Becky (November 2, 2018). "Retired Rockets Great Mario Elie Lists Houston Mansion for $3.45M". Connecticut Post. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
24. Feigen, Jonathan (April 28, 2018). "Mario Elie and P.J. Tucker: Role models and role players". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
25. Mavericks name Elie assistant coach
26. Mario Elie among three new assistant coaches for Kings Archived 2009-06-26 at the Wayback Machine , NBA.com, accessed November 14, 2009.
27. Nets add Carlesimo, Elie to Avery Johnson's coaching staff Archived 2015-10-14 at the Wayback Machine , NBA.com, accessed December 8, 2011.
28. "Magic Name Griffin, Mathis, Elie and Henry Assistant Coaches". NBA.com. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
29. Sewing, Joy (March 23, 2017). "Gina Gaston Elie: Best Dressed Hall of Fame 2017". HoustonChronicle.com. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
30. "Mayor proclaims Gina Gaston Day in Houston". ABC13 Houston. December 4, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
31. "Houston Lifestyles & Homes magazine Gina Gaston: Anchoring the News ... and Family". Houston Lifestyles & Homes magazine. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
32. Nelson, Glenn (April 29, 1992). "Time Turns Elie Into Super Mario". Washington Post. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
33. Connelly, Richard (December 9, 2010). "Mario Elie, Former Rocket, Still Part-Time Houstonian, Busted For Drunk Driving". Houston Press. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
34. "Former Rocket Mario Elie arrested on suspicion of DUI". KHOU. December 9, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2020.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com    and  Basketball-Reference.com