Earnest Lee Ross Jr. (born January 27, 1991) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who last played for the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards of the

Taiwan Professional Basketball League The Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL, zh, 台灣職業籃球大聯盟) is a professional basketball List of basketball leagues, league in Taiwan composed of 7 teams. It is the fourth Taiwanese professional basketball league after the ...

(TPBL). Born in the U.S. territory of Guam, he represents the Guam national team in international competition. He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for Auburn and

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

before beginning his professional career in Australia in 2014. He went on to play in Denmark, New Zealand, Qatar, the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

, Japan, and Mongolia.

Early life

Ross was born in

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

, a

United States territory In the United States, a territory is any extent of region under the sovereign jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters (around islands or continental tracts). The United States asserts sovereign rights for ...

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of approximately 2,000 small islands in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: Maritime Southeast Asia to the west, Poly ...

, while his parents served in the military. The family relocated frequently, moving to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

before his parents divorced when he was 5. His mother, Toy, left the military in 1996 after 15 years, citing long shifts that kept her away from her children. Ross' brother, Jamel, is two years younger. Toy moved the family to

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, but struggled to find stable work, sending her sons to live with their father in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

during the summers. At age 8, Ross and his family moved to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, initially staying with Toy's sister for a year and a half before securing their own apartment. Despite Toy working multiple jobs, they lived in a tough neighborhood and were eventually evicted, moving in with Toy's mother. Ross and Jamel attended separate schools on Chicago's South Side, with Ross acting as his brother's guardian, cooking meals and walking him to and from school. At age 12, Ross and his brother moved from Chicago to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, to live with their father due to their mother's financial struggles. She reached an agreement with her ex-husband for the children to stay with him for a year and a half, allowing her time to regain stability. Afterward, she moved to

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, where her sons would eventually join her and attend high school. Ross attended Panther Creek High School in

Cary, North Carolina Cary is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, Wake, Chatham County, North Carolina, Chatham, and Durham County, North Carolina, Durham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is part of the Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh-Cary, NC M ...

. As a junior in 2007–08, he earned All-State Class 4A honors after averaging 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game. On November 13, 2008, Ross signed a

National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...

to play

for

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

. As a senior at Panther Creek in 2008–09, Ross earned All-State Class 4A honors for the second straight year and was named the Tri-Eight Conference Player of the Year after averaging 21 points, six rebounds and five assists. He was also the leading scorer in the North Carolina vs. South Carolina All-Star Game with 16 points and had a team-high 10 rebounds.

College career

Auburn (2009–2011)

As a freshman at Auburn in 2009–10, Ross averaged 2.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game. He shot 28 percent from the field, 22 percent from three-point range and 64 percent from the foul line. He also started eight of 32 games, including the first seven games of the season in place of the injured Tay Waller, becoming the first Auburn freshman to start a season opener since Quantez Robertson, Josh Dollard and Joey Cameron started the 2005–06 season opener. As a sophomore in 2010–11, Ross was the SEC's most-improved scorer, elevating his point production from 2.8 per game to 13.1 per game. He led the Tigers in scoring 13 times, including a career-high 30 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting in an overtime loss to

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. He also led Auburn in rebounding 14 times, including a career-high 13 boards against

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

on January 22, 2011. He was subsequently named Auburn's Most Valuable Player for the 2010–11 season. In 31 games (27 starts), he also averaged 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 31.8 minutes per game.

Missouri (2011–2014)

On May 25, 2011, it was announced that Ross was leaving Auburn. On June 21, 2011, he signed a grant-in-aid agreement with the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

and subsequently redshirted the 2011–12 season due to NCAA transfer regulations. As a redshirted junior at

in 2012–13, Ross averaged 10.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 34 games with 10 starts. He was the top scorer in the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

off the bench, averaging 11.0 points on 44 percent shooting from the floor and 41.7 percent shooting from three-point range in 24 contests off the pine. As a senior in 2013–14, Ross made starts in all 35 contests and averaged 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals. He reached double figures 27 times, including seven 20-point efforts. He scored a season-high 28 points against

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

on November 29, 2013.

College statistics

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;", Auburn , 32 , , 8 , , 13.4 , , .284 , , .221 , , .636 , , 3.0 , , .8 , , .8 , , .2 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, style="text-align:left;", Auburn , 31 , , 27 , , 31.8 , , .389 , , .333 , , .793 , , 6.6 , , 2.1 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , 13.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 34 , , 10 , , 25.3 , , .413 , , .377 , , .708 , , 5.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 35 , , 31.9 , , .411 , , .311 , , .776 , , 6.0 , , 1.4 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 132 , , 80 , , 25.7 , , .392 , , .322 , , .760 , , 5.2 , , 1.3 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 10.1 , -

Professional career

NBA workouts

After graduating from college, Ross attended a mini-combine run by the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

and worked out with the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

and

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

Perth Wildcats (2014–2015)

On September 10, 2014, Ross signed a three-year deal with the

Perth Wildcats The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Wildcats compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Perth Arena, ...

of the National Basketball League (NBL). His three-year contract included team and player options at the end of each year. As Ross was born in Guam, part of the

FIBA Oceania FIBA Oceania is a zone within FIBA (International Basketball Federation). It is one of FIBA's five continental confederations. FIBA Oceania is responsible for the organization and governance of the major international tournaments in Oceania. It ...

region that includes Australia, he was signed as a domestic player — meaning he was worth three points under the NBL's player points cap system as a returning college player. The Wildcats were impressed with his NBA-ready body and his 208 cm wingspan. Listed at 105 kg, the team looked at trimming some of his weight before the start of the season, after he arrived in Perth at 120 kg. Ross went scoreless over the first two games of the season before scoring seven points on 1-of-5 shooting and 5-of-5 free throws on October 24 against the

Sydney Kings The Sydney Kings are an Australian men's professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL). The team is based in Sydney, New South Wales, and play their home games at Qudos Ba ...

. In his fourth game for the Wildcats, on October 31 against the

Wollongong Hawks The Illawarra Hawks (formerly the Wollongong Hawks and The Hawks) are an Australian professional basketball team based in Wollongong, New South Wales. The Illawarra Hawks compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketbal ...

, Ross scored a season-high 13 points. His only other double-digit game of the season came on December 18 against the Kings, as he scored 10 points to go with a season-high eight rebounds. On January 9, 2015, after less than 30 seconds on the court, Ross suffered a season-ending Achilles injury late in the first quarter of the Wildcats' 91–76 loss to the

Cairns Taipans The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team based in Cairns, Queensland. The Taipans compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Cairns Convention Centre, known colloquially as "The S ...

in Cairns. He opted to undergo surgery three days later. As a result, the Wildcats cut Ross from the roster on May 14, 2015. In 18 games for the Wildcats, he averaged 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Ballarat Miners (2016)

After attempting to join the ranks of the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

in November 2015, Ross signed with the

Ballarat Miners Ballarat Miners is a NBL1 South club based in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of Ballarat Basketball Association, the major administrative basketball organisat ...

of the

South East Australian Basketball League The South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) was a semi-professional basketball league in Australia comprising both a men's and women's competition. The SEABL began in 1981 and operated for 38 seasons until it was disbanded in 2018. The ...

on December 15, 2015. In the Miners' season opener on April 1, 2016, Ross scored 14 points with three 3-pointers in a 93–68 loss to the Bendigo Braves. In the team's second game of the season on April 8, Ross recorded game highs of 27 points and six steals in a 97–79 win over the

Basketball Australia Basketball Australia (BA), officially registered as BA Limited, is the governing body for basketball in Australia. Established in 1939, BA is a not-for-profit organisation responsible for overseeing basketball at all levels in Australia. B ...

Centre of Excellence. The next day, he scored a season-high 33 points to go with 12 rebounds in a 105–100 win over the Canberra Gunners. On April 23, he had his second 30-point game of the season, finishing with 31 points in a 95–92 loss to the

NW Tasmania Thunder The North-West Tasmania Thunder are an Australian basketball team based in Ulverstone, Tasmania. The Thunder compete in the Men's NBL1 South and play their home games at the Ulverstone Sports and Leisure Centre. Team history The franchise began i ...

. On May 14, he recorded 26 points (9/15 FG, 6/10 3PT), 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals in 94–92 win over the Dandenong Rangers. He subsequently earned SEABL Player of the Week honors for Round 7. On May 29, he recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 99–76 win over the

Frankston Blues Frankston Blues is a NBL1 South club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of Frankston & District Basketball Association (FDBA), the major administrative basketbal ...

. He subsequently earned Player of the Week honors for Round 9. On June 4, he recorded a season-high 19 rebounds to go with 19 points and eight assists in a 93–85 win over the

Hobart Chargers Hobart Chargers is a NBL1 South club based in Hobart, Tasmania. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The Chargers play their home games at the Hobart Netball and Sports Centre and Pembroke Park's South East Stadium. Cl ...

. On July 16, he recorded his second triple-double of the season with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 112–101 loss to the Brisbane Spartans. The Miners missed a playoff berth in 2016 with an 11–13 record. In 22 games for the Miners, Ross averaged 19.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Team FOG Næstved (2016–2017)

On November 21, 2016, Ross signed with

Team FOG Næstved Team FOG Næstved is a professional basketball team from Næstved, Denmark, playing in the best Danish basketball league, Basketligaen. The team won its first title in 2017, where they won the Danish Basketball Cup. Their current head coach is A ...

of the Danish

Basketligaen The Basketligaen (English: The Basketball League) is the highest professional basketball league in Denmark. The men’s first division was originally founded in 1957. Over the years, the league has undergone several name changes due to sponsorsh ...

for the rest of the 2016–17 season. In his second game for Næstved on December 1, Ross recorded 16 points and 13 rebounds in a 78–76 loss to the

Bakken Bears Bakken Bears is a Danish professional basketball club based in Aarhus. The club plays in the Basketligaen, the top-tier basketball league in Denmark. Founded in 1953, the club has won the Basketligaen 20 times, holding the record for the most c ...

. On December 18, 2016, he scored a season-high 28 points in a 117–82 win over

SISU BK SISU Basketball Klub is a Danish basketball club from Gentofte, Copenhagen founded in 1954. It takes its name from the Finnish term ''Sisu''. It is the oldest basketball club in Denmark. Both the men's and women's teams still plays in the leagu ...

. In January 2017, he helped Næstved win the

Danish Cup The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955. The winner will ...

, as they garnered an 81–80 win over Horsens IC in the final. Næstved finished the regular season in fourth place with a 13–15 record and went on to lose to Svendborg Rabbits in the quarter-finals in a 3–0 sweep. In 23 games for Næstved, Ross averaged 14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Super City Rangers (2017)

Following his final game with Næstved on March 27, 2017, Ross left Denmark and travelled to New Zealand, landing in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

on March 31 to join the

Super City Rangers The Super City Rangers were a New Zealand basketball team based in Auckland. The Rangers competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games across multiple venues in Auckland. Team history The Waitakere Rangers debut ...

for the rest of the 2017 New Zealand NBL season. He made his debut for the Rangers on April 8, scoring 16 points off the bench in a 100–73 loss to the Southland Sharks. Seven days later, he recorded game highs of 32 points and 10 rebounds in a 99–87 win over the

Nelson Giants The Nelson Giants are a New Zealand professional men's basketball team based in Nelson, New Zealand, Nelson. The Giants compete in the National Basketball League (New Zealand), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the T ...

. In the Rangers' regular season finale on June 10, Ross scored a game-high 25 points in a 102–82 win over the

Canterbury Rams The Canterbury Rams are a New Zealand professional men's basketball team based in Christchurch. The Rams compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Cowles Stadium. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as Th ...

. The Rangers finished the regular season in third place with an 11–7 record, and lost to the second-seeded Southland Sharks 106–67 in their semi-final match-up. Ross scored 10 points in the loss. In 15 games for the Rangers, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Al Wakrah (2017–2018)

In November 2017, Ross joined

Al Wakrah Al Wakrah () is the capital city of the Al Wakrah Municipality in Qatar. Al Wakrah's eastern edge touches the shores of the Persian Gulf and Qatar's capital Doha is situated immediately north of the city. Governed by Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Jassi ...

of the

Qatari Basketball League The Qatari Basketball League () is the top-tier men's basketball league operating in Qatar. The winning team obtains the participation right to the FIBA West Asia Super League. The first official season took place in 1981/82. There is a second ...

. He helped Al Wakrah finish the regular season in fourth place with a 10–6 record and helped them reach the Qatari League final, where they were defeated 61–59 by Al Arabi. Ross appeared in all 19 games for the team, averaging 19.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Geraldton Buccaneers (2018)

On January 30, 2018, Ross signed with the Geraldton Buccaneers for the 2018 State Basketball League season. In his debut for the Buccaneers on May 5, 2018, Ross recorded 18 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in an 88–82 win over the

Stirling Senators Warwick Senators is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of the Churches of Christ Sport & Recreation Association (CCSRA) and serves as the maj ...

. On June 4, he competed in the SBL All-Star Game for the North All-Stars, coming off the bench to record 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 123–110 win over the South All-Stars. Five days later, he scored 30 points in a 90–80 win over the

Perth Redbacks Perth Redbacks is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Perth Basketball Association (PBA), the major administrative basketball organisation ...

. On July 7, he scored 26 points in a 109–104 win over the

Cockburn Cougars Cockburn Cougars is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Cockburn Basketball Association (CBA), the major administrative basketball organisa ...

. The following day, he scored 29 points in a 103–94 win over the

Lakeside Lightning Lakeside Lightning is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is owned and managed by Lakeside Baptist Church. The Lightning play their home games at Lakeside R ...

. He subsequently earned Player of the Week honors for Round 17. Ross helped the Buccaneers finish the regular season as minor premiers with a 23–3 record. They went on to lose in a quarter-final sweep to the eighth-seeded

Rockingham Flames Rockingham Flames is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of the Rockingham Basketball and Recreation Association (RBRA), the major administrat ...

despite Ross' game-high 34 points in game two. In 20 games, he averaged 20.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Al Ahli (2018–2019)

In December 2018, Ross joined Al Ahli of the

, returning to the country for a second stint. He appeared in all 16 games for the team, averaging 18.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Joondalup Wolves (2019)

Ross joined the

Joondalup Wolves Joondalup Wolves is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Wanneroo Basketball Association (WBA), the major administrative basketball organisa ...

for the 2019 State Basketball League season. In his debut for the Wolves on March 15, 2019, Ross recorded game highs of 25 points and eight assists in a 112–76 season-opening win over the Perry Lakes Hawks. A day later, he recorded 25 points and a game-high 15 rebounds in a 91–83 win over the

Goldfields Giants Goldfields Giants is an NBL1 West club based in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is owned by the Goldfields Basketball Association (GBA), the major administrative basketball ...

. On April 14, he scored 33 points in a 102–79 win over the

Kalamunda Eastern Suns Kalamunda Eastern Suns is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Kalamunda & Districts Basketball Association (KDBA), the major administrative ...

. On April 18, he had 33 points and 11 rebounds in a 98–92 loss to the

. On June 1, he suffered a back injury after taking a hard fall in the opening minutes of the Wolves' 115–55 win over the

South West Slammers South West Slammers is an NBL1 West club based in Bunbury, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The Slammers play their home games at Eaton Recreation Centre and represent Western Australia's South W ...

. He went on to lead the Wolves to the minor premiership with a 20–6 record, with the team going on to reach the SBL Grand Final. In the grand final, the Wolves lost 92–80 to the Geraldton Buccaneers despite Ross' 16 points and 12 rebounds. In 30 games, he averaged 19.47 points, 8.07 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

South Bay Lakers (2019)

On October 26, 2019, after a successful try-out, Ross was added to the training camp roster of the

South Bay Lakers The South Bay Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, that competes in the NBA G League. Founded in 2006 as the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the team is owned by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were the first ...

of the

. He went on to make the opening night roster on November 4. He was waived on December 3. He averaged 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in four games.

West Adelaide Bearcats (2021)

On March 12, 2021, Ross signed with the

West Adelaide Bearcats West Adelaide Bearcats is a NBL1 Central club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of the overarching West Adelaide Basketball Club (WABC), the major administrative basketball ...

for the 2021 NBL1 Central season. In his debut for the Bearcats on April 10, he scored 21 points in an 83–76 loss to the Central Districts Lions. On April 23, he recorded 35 points and 16 rebounds in a 91–84 win over the Norwood Flames. On May 8, he recorded 22 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 110–69 win over the Eastern Mavericks. On May 29, he recorded 32 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists in a 93–90 loss to the

Forestville Eagles Forestville Eagles is a NBL1 Central club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of the overarching Forestville Eagles Basketball Club (FEBC), the major administrative basketball ...

. In 18 games, he averaged 19.11 points, 11.05 rebounds and 3.16 assists per game.

Yokohama Excellence (2021–2022)

On July 30, 2021, Ross signed with Yokohama Excellence of the Japanese

B.League The B.League is a men's professional basketball league in Japan. The league is operated by the Japan Professional Basketball League and was formed as a result of a merger between the National Basketball League that was operated by the FIBA-affi ...

third division. In 44 games during the 2021–22 season, he averaged 13.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Toyoda Gosei Scorpions (2022–2024)

On July 12, 2022, Ross signed with Toyoda Gosei Scorpions of the Japanese

third division. In 47 games during the 2022–23 season, he averaged 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game. On June 22, 2023, Ross re-signed with Toyoda Gosei Scorpions for the 2023–24 season.

SG Apes (2024)

In October 2024, Ross joined the SG Apes of

The League ''The League'' is an American television sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football l ...

. He played in nine games for Apes between October 14 and December 12, averaging 14.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards (2025)

On January 21, 2025, Ross signed with the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards of the

(TPBL). On March 21, 2025, Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards terminated the contract relationship with Ross.

National team career

In November 2018, Ross played for the Guam national team in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup pre-qualifiers, helping Guam go undefeated. In February 2020, he played for Guam in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers. In February 2023, Ross helped Guam qualify for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers. In 2024, he played in two FIBA Asia Cup qualifying windows.

Personal life

Ross is the son of Earnest Ross Sr. and Toy Miller. His father has remarried twice, and as of March 2013, he was still active in the military. His father's cousin is former NBA player Gerald Glass. Ross has an Australian wife and daughter. Ross is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. He has more than 20

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...

References

External links

Toyoda Gosei Scorpions profileYokohama Excellence profileMissouri Tigers bio"Player Piece: Earnest Ross"
at nbl.com.au * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Earnest 1991 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Australia American expatriate basketball people in Denmark American expatriate basketball people in Japan American expatriate basketball people in New Zealand American expatriate basketball people in Qatar American men's basketball players Auburn Tigers men's basketball players Basketball players from Chicago Basketball players from North Carolina Missouri Tigers men's basketball players Perth Wildcats players Shooting guards Small forwards South Bay Lakers players Super City Rangers players Taiwan Professional Basketball League imports Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards players Toyoda Gosei Scorpions players Yokohama Excellence players 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in Mongolia SG Apes players Guamanian men's basketball players Ballarat Miners players Team FOG Næstved players Al-Wakrah SC basketball players Al Ahli SC (Doha) basketball players