Mario Elie

Lore & Background

Elie won two NBA championships with the Rockets, in 1994 and 1995. During this period, Elie was dubbed the 'Junkyard Dog' by his teammates. 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. 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.

Reader's Guide

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.

Did You Know?

• Elie was named 'Mario' for opera singer Mario Lanza.
• Elie attended Power Memorial Academy, where one of his teammates was future NBA star Chris Mullin.
• Elie speaks four languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
• Elie is married to Gina Gaston, a journalist and anchorwoman for Houston's Channel ABC13, and they have triplets.