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 […]
Chansky's Notebook: The Straw
UNC's Larry Miller was the dream All-American, a 6-foot-4 gunslinging southpaw who was handsome as a devil and a ferocious competitor.
UNC Men's Basketball Star Larry Miller, 2-Time ACC Player of the Year, Dies at 79
Larry Miller, who starred for the UNC men’s basketball team under head coach Dean Smith in the 1960s, died Sunday in Pennsylvania, the program announced Monday afternoon. Miller was 79. Rest in peace, Larry Miller. A Tar Heel forever 🩵 🔗: https://t.co/ngLUgPrBx6 pic.twitter.com/jCpzOFicOR — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) May 12, 2025 Miller helped the Tar Heels […]
Chansky's Notebook: Deja Blue?
You had to keep scrolling and scrolling on ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25 poll to find UNC, slotted in at No. 25.
ACC Returning to 18-Game Schedule for Men's Basketball Beginning in 2025-26 Season
The ACC announced it would be returning to an 18-game conference schedule model for men’s basketball Wednesday afternoon. The change will go into effect immediately. The league had been using a 20-game format since the 2019-20 season (with the exception of the 2020-21 season). “As a league, we have been transparent about the importance of […]
Chansky's Notebook: Potential or Proof
Wouldn’t Drake Powell be better off returning and being UNC's leading scorer as well as an excellent rebounder and assist man?
Chansky's Notebook: Time to Heal?
Speculation is rife that Zayden High will return to the UNC basketball program this coming season. That is premature.
UNC Men's Basketball to Face Ohio State in Atlanta For CBS Sports Classic
Another key non-conference date for UNC next season has been finalized. The Tar Heels will face Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on December 20. A tip-off time will be announced later, though UNC’s game is confirmed to be the first of the day’s doubleheader. Mark your calendars […]
Report: Zayden High Expected to Return to UNC Men's Basketball Team Next Season
Editor’s Note: An article from the Raleigh News & Observer published Thursday, May 1 reports High was suspended from the university in the fall of 2024 for sexual misconduct and exploitation. He has since re-enrolled. You can read that report in full here. Zayden High, who spent his freshman year with the UNC men’s basketball […]
Virginia Tech Transfer Jaydon Young Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Jaydon Young, who spent the first two seasons of his career at Virginia Tech, committed to head coach Hubert Davis and UNC out of the transfer portal Friday. He will have two years of eligibility in Chapel Hill. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jaydon Young (@jaaaydonn3) A six-foot-four guard from Goldsboro, […]
›