"It's not all about basketball anymore": Top-rated Gamecocks signee Eli Ellis talks to LSU's Flau’jae Johnson about the impact of OTE

Class of 2025 four-star prospect Eli Ellis has said that his time at Overtime Elite League is not just about basketball. Ellis plays for the YNG Dreamerz in the OTE but says he has been able to build relationships outside of basketball, thanks to his time in the league.

The South Carolina Gamecocks signee revealed this in an interview that premiered on LSU Flau’Jae Johnson’s "Best of Both Worlds" podcast on Friday.

“I mean, I’m playing against the best competition almost every game and I think the biggest thing [OTE] taught me is all the stuff that goes outside of basketball,” Ellis said at the 06:02 mark of the interview.

“Like the social media side. How to grow your social media, collaborating with brands, stuff like that. So it taught me to realize it’s not all about basketball anymore. You can make a living off social media while playing your sport."

“So it taught me about all that stuff. Taught me about relationships, building relationships with people that are not your coaches and teammates but the video coordinator, social media manager."

“Like building those relationships because they work and make your image look really good,” Ellis said.

Ellis has been killing it on the court in the Overtime Elite, winning the MVP for the 2023-2024 season with YNG Dreamerz after averaging 33.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

His MVP came after he was named the Most Improved Player in 2022-2023. This season, Ellis is leading the OTE in points (34.0) and assists (8.3) per game.

Ellis’ social media to grow as he heads to South Carolina

Ellis is taking in the lessons at OTE as he has a strong social media presence. The 6-foot-1 shooting guard has a strong social media presence. He has over one million followers on TikTok and 630K on Instagram.

The Hickory, North Carolina native does not just post basketball-related stuff on his social media pages as he also posts a few memes. Ellis will aim to focus on his brand and basketball ahead of his move to South Carolina, committing to the Gamecocks in November 2023 and signing on Nov. 18, 2024.

Ellis will play alongside his Overtime Elite colleague Hayden Assemian, who will also play college basketball with the Gamecocks.