Carolina’s Wayne Ellington has turned sorrow into meaningful action.

Ellington, the Most Outstanding Player at the 2009 Final Four in Detroit, has had to live with more than the normal ups and downs of a pro athlete. In 2014, his father was shot to death while sitting in his car on the mean streets of Philadelphia.

Ellington wrote a letter titled ‘Pops’ in The Players’ Tribune

Ellington channeled his grief into several anti-gun violence programs, such as being the featured speaker in Philly’s Peace Day “March for Peace” and joining other pros to run the fourth annual Peace League Tournament, which also aims to curb gang violence in Chicago.

He then launched the non-profit “Power of W.E.,” which will run the Philadelphia Peace Games in August, bringing members from rival gangs together in one of the basketball games that will be played on a court Ellington raised money to build with permanent messages about gun control and gangs.

In February of 2016, while Ellington’s Brooklyn Nets team was in the middle of a dismal, 21-61 season, the man who shot and killed Wayne Ellington, Sr., was sentenced from 30-60 years in prison after pleading guilty to third-degree murder. Ellington said it brought some kind of closure to his family but, obviously, will never bring his dad back.

Then last month, Ellington received the prestigious J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the Pro Basketball Writers of America. Kennedy was the second commissioner of the NBA, and the honor goes to an NBA player who shows outstanding leadership in the community. Ellington had to beat out current NBA stars LeBron James, Chris Paul, John Wall and George Hill for the award.

Ellington also sponsored the New York City grassroots program, the Rens, with the first youth league teams to wear orange patches on their uniforms as a statement against gun violence. Ellington bought and donated more than 2,000 Nets tickets for youth groups all over the city.

Hats off to Carolina’s Wayne Ellington, who turned his father’s senseless killing into something very special.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Standout Day'Ron Sharpe Taken 29th in NBA Draft
Former UNC standout Day’Ron Sharpe is officially headed to the NBA, as the Phoenix Suns drafted him on Thursday night. The 6-foot-11 Greenville, N.C. native was taken 29th overall, the second-to-last pick in the first round, after a strong year off the bench for the Tar Heels in the 2020-21 season. As part of a […]
Report: Buffalo Transfer Angelo Brizzi Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Angelo Brizzi, who spent the 2025-26 season with Buffalo, reportedly committed to head coach Michael Malone and UNC out of the transfer portal Wednesday. Inside Carolina first reported the news. UNC will be Brizzi’s fifth school in five years. The guard began his career at Villanova in 2022 – entering college in the same class […]
Freshmen, Transfers and More: Every Newcomer Joining UNC Men's Basketball for the 2026-27 Season
As Michael Malone embarks on his first season as the head coach of the UNC men’s basketball program, he’s gotten busy securing the additions of several newcomers to the program. Malone and his staff have mined from traditional high school recruiting and the transfer portal to fill out Carolina’s roster, and that work is continuing […]
Former UNC Player Ed Davis Among Several Indicted in NBA Gambling Scandal
Ed Davis, who played for the UNC men’s basketball team from 2008 through 2010 and helped the Tar Heels win the 2009 national title, is among six former NBA players who are being charged with conspiracy, bribery and money laundering as the result of a federal investigation. An indictment published Monday by the U.S. Attorney’s […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network Takeover
The ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
Chansky's Notebook: What Happened to Henri?
Blame Henri Veesaar's baffling slide in the NBA Draft on the muddled way the league and its agents do business.
UNC Men's Basketball to Face Illinois in Nashville Hoops Showdown in January
UNC is adding another high-level non-conference matchup to its 2026-27 schedule. The Tar Heels will face Illinois in the Nashville Hoops Showdown on Saturday, Jan. 30. The matchup has been confirmed by both programs and by Bridgestone Arena, which will host the game. Tar Heels 🆚 Fighting Illini in Nashville pic.twitter.com/UuhExCctMB — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) […]
UNC's Henri Veesaar Drafted by Los Angeles Clippers, Traded to Atlanta Hawks
Henri Veesaar is league-bound. The seven-foot center, who spent the 2025-26 season with UNC after committing to the Tar Heels out of the transfer portal, was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 52 overall pick in the NBA Draft, who then traded that pick to the Atlanta Hawks. Veesaar spent the first […]
UNC's Caleb Wilson Selected by Chicago Bulls with No. 4 Overall Pick in 2026 NBA Draft
Caleb Wilson is headed to the Windy City. The Chicago Bulls selected the star UNC freshman forward with the No. 4 overall pick in the first round of Tuesday’s NBA Draft. Wilson is the highest-picked Tar Heel in the NBA Draft since Marvin Williams went No. 2 overall to the Atlanta Hawks in 2005. Carolina […]
UNC Men's Basketball to Host Arkansas, Women to Host LSU in 2026 ACC-SEC Challenge
The matchups have been set for both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball programs in the upcoming ACC-SEC Challenge: the men will host Arkansas on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the Smith Center, while the women will host LSU on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at Carmichael Arena. ACC/SEC challenge is set 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/AWzBSN1Cbv — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) […]
›