Henry Ellenson
A skilled stretch forward whose professional journey has taken him from a first-round NBA draft pick to a starring role in Asian basketball leagues.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American basketball player·Birthday: January 13·Generation Z
Biography
Henry Ellenson arrived at Marquette University with considerable hype, a McDonald's All-American with a polished offensive game for a big man. His lone college season was a showcase, as he averaged a double-double and demonstrated the outside shooting touch that defined his potential. Selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, his NBA career never quite found a consistent rhythm across stops with several teams. Reinventing himself overseas, Ellenson found significant success, first dominating in the Spanish Liga ACB and later becoming a central figure in the Korean Basketball League. His story is one of adaptability, leveraging his unique skill set as a scoring big man to thrive as a star in a different basketball landscape.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Henry was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Henry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Henry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Averaged 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in his freshman season at Marquette, earning All-Big East First Team honors.
- Selected 18th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft.
- Named to the All-KBL First Team in 2024 after a standout season in South Korea.
Did You Know?
His sister, Ellie Ellenson, played college basketball for the Marquette women's team.
He won a gold medal with the USA Basketball team at the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
He played for five different NBA teams: Pistons, Knicks, Nets, Raptors, and Timberwolves.
“My job is to stretch the floor and knock down the open shot.”
