Mario Antoine Elie, American basketball Player

Mario Antoine Elie was born on 26th November 1963 in New York City. He had a brother named Clark. His sister is named Nancy. Mario is remembered as a legendary in American basketball. He has been a professional basketball player and a coach at different times in his life. He is currently the assistant coach for the New Jersey Nets.

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Mario Antoine Elie has his name Mario adopted from the famous opera singer Mario Lanza. Elie was raised up in New York but he is of Haitian heritage. As soon as he graduated from college his father passed on. Elie lost his brother Clark too in a car accident in 2009. Clark was also a basketball player though not at a professional level.

Mario Antoine Elie undertook his high school education at Power Memorial Academy. Here he shared the same basketball pitch with Chris Mullin. They practiced under the training of Coach Steve Donohue. In 1980s, Ellie tried street ball in different locations in New York. He tried several times to join the NBA but he could not make it. His basketball fans nicknamed him 'The Jedi'. Waive

In his college basketball career he helped American International College to reach the quarter finals of their first NCAA Division II Tournament. After being overlooked by NBA teams for a while, Mario Antoine Elie was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks in1985 in a NBA draft. He was dropped after two months, however. Los Angeles Lakers also gave him a chance in 1990-91 preseason games but he was again put aside before the season began.

Mario Antoine Elie has since played for Ovarense Aerosoles in the Portuguese League and for Albany Patroons in the Continental Basketball Association

In 1987 Elie offered his skills to Dart Killester in Ireland. He also joined Unión de Santa Fe in the Argentine League.

Mario Antoine Elie made a remarkable mark in the 1990-91season when he won a 10 day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. Since then he has played for several teams; Golden State Warriors (1990-91), Portland Trail Blazers (1992-93) and the Houston Rockets (1993-94).

Elie made three-point field goals to win 2 NBA championships for the Rockets in two consecutive years; 1994 and 1995.

Elie made another impact while playing for the Rockets in 1995 Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns. He was able to hit a clutch 3 in Game 7 and send the Rockets ahead with 113-110 in just 7.1 seconds of play. Houston fans call it the Kiss of Death; Elie made a taunting kissing sign towards the Opponents bench shortly after he made the killer shot.

Mario Antoine Elie had not started for the Rockets until in the 1995 NBA Finals. His involved in the game made a big difference as Ellie starred for the Rockets.

Later in 1997 he signed for San Antonio Spurs as a free agent. With Spurs Elie won the third NBA championship in 1999.

He played for San Antonio for two seasons and then joined Phoenix Suns for the 2000-01 season after which he retired. In his entire career Elie managed 6,265 points in all his 732 NBA games.

He was installed into the New York Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Mario Antoine Elie began coaching basketball on September 28, 2007 after he was hired by the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach. He has also been an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings. On December 8, 2011, Elie joined the coaching bench of the New Jersey Nets.

He is married to Gina Gaston, a journalist and anchorwoman for Houston's KTRK-TV. They have triplets: one girl and two boys.

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