In this YouTube vlog, EuroLeague player Elijah Bryant walks viewers through his morning in Istanbul, a family prayer, and his travel routine before heading to Belgrade for a crucial EuroLeague matchup against Partizan. He describes his personal health challenges (a severe headache), his pre‑game preparation (stretching, mobility work, new KD17 shoes), and his appreciation for his wife Roxy’s support. Bryant then provides background on Partizan, highlighting the club’s legendary fan base, coach Željko Obradović’s ten EuroLeague titles, and key roster players such as Sterling Brown, Carli Jones, and Brandon Davies. The video transitions into live play‑by‑play commentary of the game, noting scoring runs, pivotal three‑point shots, defensive plays, and the atmosphere of the packed arena. After the win, Bryant participates in a brief interview, reflecting on the team’s effort, the importance of rebounding, and his personal mindset of taking the season one step at a time, even joking about dinner plans. Throughout, the vlog blends personal narrative, cultural context, and sports analysis, offering insight into a professional basketball player’s mental and physical preparation for high‑stakes competition.
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Hey guys, just woke up at home here in Istanbul and starting the day with breakfast for my family. Something honestly I really miss when I'm on the road for away games.
I did this one, I did that one.
Thank you, brother.
Hi, hi guys.
But now Back to business, packing up and getting ready for another big experiment against Partizan. Hi Roxy, I love you. Say prayers real quick. Can you say them? Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. We thank you for our many blessings. In the name of the gospel, amen. Roxy, my wife, the CEO of our family, drops me off at the practice facility, and on away games, we always stick to the normal routine. First, we have practice at our gym, some stretching, mobility, team practice, and all the last-minute details from our coaching staff.
Good. This is not soup, this is ice. You got another year then? 8 for the bus. I got 3 minutes.
Made it to Serbia. This hotel has experienced some highs and experienced some lows. Highs being winning the EuroLeague championship. Blows, being suspended for a game. But on the brighter side, we traveled in safety, body feels good, we're healthy, and tomorrow we play Partizan. Now if you're not familiar with Partizan, then you don't know European basketball. Partizan is European basketball when it comes to the fans. Probably some of the best fans in the world, most passionate fans. And their team, their team is a brand new team. Literally, they kept one player from the roster before. And I don't even think we need to talk about their coach Obradović, who, if I'm mistaken, has won 10 EuroLeagues. So The Will Coach, great team with a bunch of NBA talent, EuroLeague talent, from Sterling Brown to Carli Jones, who did freaking amazing against Team USA this year, to Brandon Davies.
Who else?
Bocheski, who I played against in preseason when I was in the NBA. So this team has a bunch of talent and we had the same record right now, so this is literally a playoff game before the playoffs, so we need to lock in.
So obviously it's March, which is March Madness, and I personally didn't make it to the tournament, but my alma mater BYU is playing BC right now, so I am locked in and watching this game. They're currently down by 2 points, but that's one thing I regret about college. I know they say have no regrets, but but I would have loved to play in the tournament. Good morning from Belgrade, Serbia. Last night, or shall I say this morning, was— I had a headache at like 4 in the morning, and obviously everyone deals with their own problems, but my type of headaches are severe. So I took my medicine, uh, some Advil, uh, ordered two Cokes. Yes, Coca-Cola, which I never drink, so you know I was down bad. And I do this thing where I get in the shower, put the hot water on my head and massage it. And this is something that I've dealt with, uh, my whole life. So it's kind of one of those things you learn how to manage. And on another note, got some new shoes, KDs, these blue ones. You guys know my KDs are the shoes I'm playing with this year, KD17. But these are the blue ones. And now I'm about to— I just went downstairs, you saw, and I walked on the treadmill a little bit kind of get the meds out of me and get some blood flowing. But God is good regardless. Despite still having this terrible headache, I have to be ready physically and mentally. This is our last practice before the big experiment. No excuses. I have to be present to show my team that I'm 100% locked in and ready, because at this level, the mental aspect is far more important than physical Dear Dan. All right, so we just got back from shootaround, and on a positive note, I'm feeling better. Another thing I just saw on social media is that Partizan is a few weeks, months, days away from securing a long-term partnership with EuroLeague, meaning they can play in the EuroLeague regardless of if they win the ABA or if they're one of the top teams. This is a big deal for Partizan, and not only is it a big deal, I think it's much deserving considering the type of fans, the type of environment, and the type of club they have. Just a few years ago, honestly, if we're being honest, they should have won EuroLeague. There was a fight and then certain players couldn't play and Madrid went on to win. But that's neither here nor there.
All right, well, it's time to head to the game. Another game, another experiment, another opportunity to get better, figure out a hypothesis. Hypothesis changes, solution changes. But at the end of the day, another game, another experiment.
Let's get it.
to the ultimate stage. Got close to the Final Four a couple of years ago, a controversial out in 5 games against Real Madrid in the quarterfinals. But right now we're talking about 25-20, 25. It's Van Samperieck, Tyreke Jones for the jump ball, and we are underway. Darius Thompson chased and hounded by Pokusevsky, and he's left open again. And 8 points in a hurry for Darius Thompson. That's gonna get a powerful slam dunk and bring the fans to their feet. And then the easiest of buckets as the breakdown in defense.
And the—
Keenan out on the court. Or Pardisak. Elijah Bryant, step-back jumper.
Flatters that one hard.
It is on offense right now. Lundberg trying to correct that by feeding Bonga again. Mbonga is on a mission. Instead, he's worn out. The shot clock running down, fades away, doesn't get the— oh, how's about that one? A play by Dan Arturo. He's fouled, he lands in a heap grabbing his lower back. Otherwise, the opposition big, in this case Dan Arturo, will be Able to wreak havoc. Larkin checks the shot clock, shoots the 3, and of course it was going in. Schmitz off into the high screen. Bobois drives, kicks Bryant. Ouch is all I can say. Bryant looks like he looks like a general out there. Everything he does, partisan is scared of.
FS.
There's the double team from Davies. Do they recover? No, but Derek Willis makes the 3. Bryant recovers. Darius Thompson makes the 3.
Darius Thompson.
Oh, after a relatively bright start to the game, they came back from down 10. Parnassian have crumbled until finally— Shot clock is winding down. Derek Willis gets it stolen. Good anticipation from Marinkovic. Willis is going to lay that up. Davis gets a breakaway slam. Thompson swings it. Extra pass. Bob Watt says, I want to be on the scoreboard, and he's finally there. Get lower with every day. A double week next week. Another offensive rebound and another steal and another breakaway basket for FS, and it is smiles all around for the team from the House of Blue. So they can thank these fans, these 8 17,500 fans have stayed with them the whole night long even though they are being blown away.
As the clock winds down, Kocubradovic is head to head with Luka Banchi now.
Matched at 5 wins apiece. They played 10 games against each other, both have won 5. That's what we deserve. That's the basketball you deserve to play, guys.
So how do you feel right now and what was the key against Partizan?
Obviously it's a great team, it's a great atmosphere. We just had to come out here and fight and we are grateful to get a win, but they showed a lot of effort. I know they had 24 offensive rebounds, so We have to be better at that, but, uh, we got a win, so we'll enjoy it, and then we'll move on to the next one.
You've been thinking about playoffs?
No, I don't think about that. I think about what I'm going to eat for dinner, and then after that, I think about what I'm going to eat for breakfast the next day. I take it one step at a time. Um, it's a long season, and in order to have consistency, you have to take it one step at a time.
So what are you going to have to dinner—
for dinner?
Uh, probably some chicken and rice, something light, maybe some ice cream tonight. That's a— that's a big one for me. So maybe I'll have some ice cream to celebrate, but other than that, uh, we're happy for this one and, uh, we'll enjoy it.
