Like many professional athletes, Latter-day Saint basketball player and newly minted NBA champion Elijah Bryant spends the moments before taking the court with his eyes closed and wearing noise-cancelling headphones as a ritual to find peace and focus.

But his playlist may be a little different from most.

“Right before the game, I was meditating and listening to ‘I am a child of God,’” he said. “It always refocuses me and reminds me of my higher purpose.”

“Sometimes I get caught up in everything I need to do in a game and this song helps me understand what my main goal is in this earthly journey.”

The 6-foot-5 guard also gave several “going away” talks in general conference before the game, including “Careful and Relaxed” by Sister Rebecca L. Craven, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency. These messages inspired gratitude for what he had been given: his family, his faith, and, yes, the hoop skills that allowed him to provide for his young family and share your faith with a wide audience .

When Church News caught up with Bryant, he was still feeling the excitement of winning a National Basketball Association title with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I always had confidence and understood that if I worked hard, things like this could happen,” he said of the championship. “Sometimes we can get carried away by what is happening to us at the moment. …But the Church teaches us that if we obey God’s commandments, He can move mountains. So I just try to focus on what I’m doing today to be the best I can be and serve as many people as I can.

Bryant’s journey to the NBA — much like his own conversion to the gospel — did not follow a linear path.

After his all-conference junior season at Brigham Young University in 2018, the highly accomplished Bryant opted to forgo his final college season and join the professional ranks.

He hoped to earn a spot on an NBA roster, but was unsuccessful. So he and his wife, Jenelle, left the United States for the opportunity to play professional basketball in Israel. Bryant played well in Asia – earning first-team All-Israel honors, experiencing a new culture and enjoying the hospitality of the Israeli people.

“My religion is very respected in Israel,” he said. “The Jewish community, like the Latter-day Saint community, is very family oriented. People really respect my values because they closely align with theirs.

However, his determination to compete in the world’s biggest professional tournament never wavered. Last May, he put that ambition aside when he signed with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

The phrase “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” accurately describes Bryant’s transcontinental journey to the NBA. In the years leading up to his chance at the Bucks, he prepared by getting better every day, regardless of the day’s wins or losses.

“I think my greatest asset in basketball is my ability to deal with adversity and my ability to stay mentally strong,” he said.

Bryant immediately announced his various abilities to NBA fans. In his debut on May 16 against the Bucks, he came off the bench to score 16 points and grab 6 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls.

“It was a difficult time for me personally,” he recalls. “But I also told myself that I’ve worked my whole life to get to the NBA, so don’t go out there and play afraid. I made a lot of mistakes in this match, but I did a lot of good things.

After the Bulls game, he tried to “play it cool.” But inside, he added: “I feel like a child. I was very happy. I won an NBA championship and I can take that off my list.

Bryant is one of many Latter-day Saint athletes who compete at the professional level. But it’s rare for multiple Church members to be assigned to the same NBA team. So Bryant is excited to be teammates with fellow Rookie/Latter-day Saint teammate Sam Merrill in the race for the Buck championship.

“Having Sam on the team made my transition to the NBA a lot easier; just to have someone in the group who shares the same faith,” he said.

Bryant and Merrill have known each other since their competitive days at BYU and Utah State University. “And having a familiar face with the Bucks definitely helped because there’s a lot of things you have to adjust to in the NBA.”

The Bryant/Merrill connection added an extra layer of excitement for the Milwaukee-area Latter-day Saints who were supporting the Bucks during their recent playoff run.

“Both Sam and Elijah were at church the day after the Bucks beat the (Miami) Heat in the playoffs,” recalled Bishop Dale Edman of the Parkway Ward in the Milwaukee North Stake. “It was exciting for our young people to be able to talk to both. »

Family, faith (and a boy named Blu)

A convert to the Church, Bryant grew up in Georgia. He was the product of a supportive family, had parents who were Latter-day Saints, and attended church regularly when he was growing up.

Looking back on his youth, he is grateful to the members of the local parish who cared for his family by inviting young Elijah and his siblings to Sunday church services and it was no surprise that he came to play balloon at the synagogue.

“On Monday or Tuesday we would study with the missionaries, then on Wednesday we would go to church to play basketball,” he said.

Jason Campbell is a homeschooler and remains close friends with Bryant and his family. He remembers Elijah, 12, “as a great kid with a great story” who wowed local members at the gym with his shooting skills.

“I joked with Elijah that he would be the next Jimmer Fredette,” Campbell said with a laugh.

During his teenage years, Bryant was not always active in the Church. He endured struggles.

“But I still have faith. I knew the right way. …I knew I wanted a family sealed to me in the temple, but I didn’t always know what the path to get there looked like. My decisions don’t always match what I need to do,” he said.

After enjoying a productive freshman campaign at Elon University in North Carolina, he chose to transfer to BYU. This decision changed the young athlete’s life.

“I knew I needed to be around like-minded people who were trying to take care of their families, attend the temple, and live a good life. Coming to BYU helped shape me and see what was possible: I could play basketball at a high level, while also being a high-achieving student and having a family.

Bryant’s fortune in Provo, Utah, extended beyond the basketball court. He also met Jenelle Fraga at a party thrown by mutual friends. The two became friends, began dating and then married in the Salt Lake Temple before his final season at BYU.

Bryant was happy to talk about his hoops memories and winning the NBA title. But his enthusiasm for all things basketball couldn’t be matched by his excitement about becoming a father. He and Jenelle are the parents of a baby boy named Blu who is about to celebrate his first birthday.

Bryant couldn’t imagine going through his basketball journey without his faith and his family.

“Faith, family and health are three words written in my diary,” he said. “Those are the three pillars that I try to focus on. These are the three things I have to be most grateful for. These are the things that help me stay grounded. Whether I play another NBA game or win another NBA championship, I am blessed because I have a great family, my faith and my health.