Guided by the motto “Faith + Consistency,” Elijah Bryant proved that the EuroLeague had underestimated his talent and rightfully earned a place in the All-EuroLeague First Team. A player with MVP-caliber ability, Bryant finally had the opportunity to showcase the full range of his skills with Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Bryant’s decision to join Hapoel Tel Aviv last summer raised a few eyebrows around European basketball. But once Ofer Yannay’s vision began to take shape, with signings such as Dan Oturu and, later on, Vasilije Micic, it became clear that the American had embraced the challenge and arrived in Israel to help build something special.
During the season that followed, the 31-year-old guard demonstrated not only that he belongs among the EuroLeague elite, but that he is also one of the competition’s most impactful players. In fact, throughout the first half of the season he was considered one of the frontrunners in the MVP race before ultimately securing a place in the league’s best five with eye-catching numbers.
In 38 appearances, the former Anadolu Efes standout averaged 15.4 points (59.6% on two-pointers, 37.2% from three, 89.3% from the free-throw line), 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 steals, while providing an all-around presence and consistent leadership.
Without question, he was the player who stood out most in Dimitris Itoudis’ team. He was the one making things happen, whether on offense or defense. One of the most complete players in the league, Bryant finished the season as both Hapoel’s leading scorer and leading rebounder.
Despite carrying a significant offensive workload, Bryant never sacrificed efficiency. At the same time, he never took possessions off defensively. At the physical level demanded by the EuroLeague, excelling as a true two-way player and maintaining the same level of influence on both ends of the floor is an exceptionally difficult task.
He is an elite spot-up shooter, capable of finishing around the basket in a variety of ways. He can create his own shot with the pull-up jumper, reads the game well enough to elevate his teammates, and uses his body exceptionally well through contact.
He is not a traditional point guard, yet he consistently makes the right decisions. He recognizes defensive closeouts, attacks mismatches whenever they appear, and performs with remarkable composure and basketball IQ under pressure.
Bryant is also a winner in the purest sense of the word. He does not chase statistics; he lets them come naturally. Meanwhile, he competes relentlessly on defense, thrives in switch-heavy schemes, and can guard positions one through three — and even some fours — without losing control of the possession or compromising his team’s rebounding.
The former NBA player lives by the motto “Faith + Consistency.” Carrying those two principles into every practice session and every game, Bryant has emerged as a new type of dominant star in European basketball.
Amid all of that, the American still finds time to share parts of his routine, daily life, and basketball philosophy through social media. A true student of the game, as he often describes himself.