The video blends live EuroLeague playoff commentary of the Efes vs Panathinaikos game in Athens with a personal vlog from player Elijah Bryant. Bryant opens by emphasizing the team's playoff momentum and the challenge of playing in the iconic OAKA arena. He then walks through his daily routine—using a chili pad for temperature regulation, taking vitamins, reviewing film, doing mobility work, and holding family prayers—highlighting how these habits support performance. Bryant reflects on facing his former coach Ergin Ataman, noting shared history, draft class ties, and the tactical intrigue of the matchup. The broadcast segment provides play‑by‑play details, naming key players, scoring runs, and pivotal moments. Bryant also discusses the psychological impact of the recent Istanbul earthquake on his focus and family, and he stresses the role of faith, intention‑setting, and meditation (including gym sessions and self‑help podcasts) in maintaining resilience. Post‑game, he stresses learning from mistakes, consistency, and the importance of routine despite external stressors, concluding with a call to watch film and stay grounded.
Chapters
It all comes down to this. The playoffs. We battled back midseason and won the last 8 straight to be here. It wasn't easy, but it showed everyone what we've known this whole year. We've got what it takes and we're here to win it all. But first, it starts in Athens. Guys, we are in Athens, Greece, and we are here to play the reigning EuroLeague champs, Panathinaikos.
Panathinaikos returned to the pinnacle of European basketball. The magnificent effort by the Greens.
The environment is going to be like no other, maybe even better than Partizan or Red Star. So we just got here to the hotel, took a little nap, and now we're about to head off to practice.
Let's go!
After practice, I'm back in my hotel room and I'm basically spending the rest of the day here. First, setting up my chili pad. I personally am a hot sleeper, and the chili pad helps regulate my temperature so I don't wake up or sweat a lot to become dehydrated in the morning. Other than that, I'll watch my film, take my vitamins, do my normal nightly routine. I'll always call my family so we can do our family prayers as well, and I'll call it a night. I wake up the next morning and have a few hours before shootaround. I do my mobility routine in the hotel to get the body loose and ready for the day. Having played for Ottoman, it should be very interesting because we know his style, we know how he motivates the team, we know what plays he's running, and we interviewed him on the podcast early this year. So the relationship is there. So this will be a great test to see if we can beat our former coach. And me and Nunn were in the same draft class. We actually had the same agent before, and congrats on winning MVP, much deserving. It's going to be a big task for us to stop him, but At the end of the day, it's basketball. It's that time. Another game, another experiment. Doesn't change based on what level you're playing or what type of game it is— in-season, playoffs. It's the same system every single time. Let's get it.
These two clubs have combined to lift Europe's grandest prize in three of the last four seasons, all of those championships under Ergin Ataman, whose six years at Efes was the most successful era in their history. Tonight, it's their first playoff game since Ataman achieved back-to-back titles in 2022. Now he's based here in Athens, the most successful Turkish coach ever, aiming to repeat that feat and in doing so achieve something unparalleled even in Panathinaikos' great history. Back-to-back continental crowns for the Greens. I'm Tim Long, an honor to be here at the OAKA for Game 1 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs. Shot clock winding down already. Onef is quiet That's not his shot, a long way out, but the tip will go down. Elijah Bryant against Turkish opposition here tonight after they conceded 96 points. Grant to Hernán Gómez, back iron, offensive rebound. Yeah, 7, he's become a point guard. A 10-2 run since Efes's positive start, and talk about positive. The power in the paint from Van Poyet. Up fake, step through, floater. Elijah Bryant doing it all. Put the ball back in and he's got a free passage to the open— with Toblu. Dano Juru bit back with the big block and the transition 3 for Wara knocks it down, and FS are not going to back down in the regular season. And Dan O'Toole detonating the demolition dunk, and the Iwaka as quiet as it can get. And Larkin lands another heavyweight hit to the chin of the defending champions. Derek Willis, he is deadly from deep. Oh, Garrett Simmons soaring and scoring in the with a big one of their own. Instead, it's Willis picking up pace and cherry-picking Bryant. Poitier in behind, and Darius Thompson. And Panathinaikos have the numbers advantage again momentarily. Guancho kicked to the corner. Cometh the hour, cometh the captain. In the paint and in the passing lane, Elijah Bryant. Takes it at Kendrick Nunn and knocks down the shot. Panathinaikos from 12 down, now back within 2. And Larkin, an unbelievable score from Shane Larkin. Bryant over the top of Yurtseven, another kind roll off the rim. Great resilience from the road team here. And another offensive foul from Panathinaikos. Not hanging around here, instead he's hanging it up for PJ Dojan. Hernán Gómez continues to send statements. Shelly Osman, a 3 this time. Elijah Bryant passed Nunn over the top of the big in front of him for a big basket. Scores in double figures for Efes with 2 more on 8. Kendrick Nunn, there's a whistle, there's a score, and there's still fire in the fingertips of Nunn. Sideskips Lucas, quick to get to him. Sideskip Willis as well. They're not going down for him now. William Gabriel. Van Aikos. Lucas goes at Larkin, back out. Nunn shifts it on past the double team, and Joran Grant, the MVG!
Oh my gosh! Hi boys! Okay, let's say prayers. I'll stand.
Okay, go. Okay.
He check. Same move though. He check. Hey, oh!
Catch up.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, hey, hey, hey, yes!
Oh yeah, oh yeah! Catch.
Well, just got back from shoot round. Today we have our second game. Obviously in the first game. I didn't finish as we planned. It was going really well. There's some things we could clean up, but after the game there was an earthquake in Istanbul, and ever since then I've kind of been a little rattled just because I'm not with my family, and I'm also trying to focus on the game. So these times you kind of find out what matters most. But at the end of the day, we had a chance to win and we didn't, but now we have another opportunity And like we always say, another game, another— exactly, experiment. God is good. You told me my ice bath fell off the patio.
No, I was gonna say all the water came out. Really?
But I got the report back from the people and there's no structural damage to the building, so— Bluey! I know, all we have to do is just have faith though. Today's session will be 10 minutes long, and we are going to explore the power of intention setting for your practice.
Can we say prayers? Shake the foundations of the entire Olympic Park. Grant defense collapses, and Jerran Grant makes them pay from the perimeter. Old Money looking to expose that on the defensive end again here. PJ Doja free for the 3, and he strings it. Costas Lucas is getting ready. It's Larkin, he lands another long-range foul. Pal by 7. Thompson behind the back of Poitier, another turnover. Another chance to run and gun and stun and power, having some fun. Nunn up against Dan O'Toole, the center goes glass. Panathinaikos by 15. O'Toole In the center for Poitiers, for FS. They move it around. Thompson, 3-point shot, hits the bottom of the net. A slip, another turnover. That's 3 in quick succession. Now it's a 3-on-1, and Dan O'Toole— I love it. Nikos hardly ever seemed to do it the easy way. Lorenzo Brown from downtown, he always does it the efficient way. And here he is, soaring and scoring once more. Larkin Got Grant flying past him, got it back. Grant catches up, like an incredible balance and poise and pass, and Poitiers does his thing once more. After 15 points on tough shooting in the first game, only 4 points in the first half of this one, but right back at it to start the second half. Grant gets Poitiers away from him and sends the ball over the top of him. He's been a real force for Efes tonight. Thompson, 3-point shot, puts it in, and it's a single-digit game again. Luka Dončić digging to the bottom of his bench, and Elijah Bryant putting the ball in the bottom of the bucket. Efes putting them in an unfamiliar position. But Powell still thriving. Lorenzo Brown, no time for the pass— or was there? There's surely not shots! Trying to shake off Sloukas once more. This time there is a whistle and there is another score. Sloukas on the closeout, Thompson into the paint, drops it off to Poitiers, faced by, uh, Seven. The two Seven Footers going at it and Poitiers puts it in. Finds Rancho, a man for the big shots. Larkin, guarded by Sloukas. Off the crossover, off one leg, off the rim, off the backboard, and in. Larkin, Willis puts it on the floor. Contact to the face of Huancho, it seemed, and no call though. None. Goes right to the goal. Shane Larkin directing traffic. He wants to go at Huancho. Larkin trying to shake off hesitation move. Goes glass. Larkin again, this time guarded by Grant, passes on to Poitier, gets it back, gets away, gets the shot away, and shining brighter than the treasures and trinkets of the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. Inbound, quick shot, none, on the turn for 3. But there's no time left after that, they need to get a foul if they can, and it's Shane Larkin. Efes get the ball into the hands of the man they wanted to. Ball into Mitoglu, off to Sloukas. Efes retreats. Sloukas to Nunn. They're going to play straight up defense. Nunn brings Poitier out. Kendrick Nunn, was he caught? Officials say no, fans say yes. Still time. Nunn has to retreat into the corner, puts it up. Was it too late? It was, and by the Finest of margins, tie this best of 5 series in dramatic, courageous fashion.
A lot of the times we are completely wired because of the adrenaline of the games, and so we try and use that in the weight room because the reality is we probably won't sleep anyways for the next 2 hours or so. Also because I didn't play like the best Elijah Bryant I could. The gym can be a sort of a meditation in a way to get myself out of my own head and settle down. We won. I played like— but that's life. What can you do? You know, it's, it's basketball. You have good days, you have bad days. Yesterday was a very stressful day just trying to organize my family to be comfortable during the earthquake, so that took a toll. But that doesn't mean that's why I play bad. I play bad because I play bad. But at the end of the day, we won, and that's all that matters. And You guys have been with me through the highs, you're gonna be with me through the lows. So I'm normal, I'm just like you guys. I have good days, I have bad days, but the key to this is to not allow these bad days to take you off your systems and your routine. So right now I'm about to watch the film, as painful as it is to watch, but that's how you learn, that's how you grow. And if you don't learn from your mistakes and you give up, that's when you actually lose. So you never lose, you only learn. And I ordered some Slovakis, shout out Lots of grease. Again, like always, remember to have faith and consistency. Whatever, let's just watch the film. What is this? Turn the commentators off, bro. I do not like listening to— that's another thing, I don't watch games with the— I watch games listening to a self-help podcast or something to better myself. I don't listen to the commentators because they got too much going on. I gotta bring the ball over more, give myself more space. Boom. 15, so I got plenty of time.
