Today’s Playbook

👎 Losing Sucks → Every game is an experiment. Learn and Move on.

👕 Why I wear #6 → Can you guess before you look below?

🤸‍♂️ Pre-Game Primer → Why I lift instead of shoot before games.

Let me know what else you’d like to see from my side by replying to the newsletter or leaving me comments on my YouTube channel.

Let’s Build Confidence + Consistency™ , on and off the court!

-Elijah

Losing Sucks 🏀

Managing Emotions and Growing as a Leader

This year, I’ve been working on managing my emotions better—especially after the start of the season. I realized I was letting my emotions get the best of me. And as the saying goes: where your emotions go, your energy flows. I was putting too much energy into things that didn’t really matter—referees, opponents, missed shots, made shots, wins, losses. I was too emotionally invested in all of it.

Am I pissed that we lost? Of course. But as I get older, I’m learning how to channel that energy in a more constructive way. Instead of just being mad—punching walls, sulking—I’m using that energy to study film, to write down what I need to improve. Because when you’re just angry, you’re not thinking about solutions.

We lost to Beşiktaş. Plain and simple. I don’t care who played, who didn’t—we lost. And as a leader on the floor, I take responsibility for that. It’s not acceptable, especially at Anadolu Efes, where the expectation is to win championships. But at the same time, we have to learn from it and move forward. There’s still a lot of season left. Everything is still possible—Final Four, winning championships—it’s all within reach. But it starts with the habits we build every single day.

It starts in practice. In film sessions. In the weight room. In games—Turkish League games, EuroLeague games. No game is ever a "wasted" game. Every game is an opportunity to experiment, to learn, to adjust. And that adjustment isn’t just game to game—it’s quarter to quarter, possession to possession. Basketball is never perfect. The teams that learn and adapt the fastest are the ones that win. That’s why there are runs, momentum shifts. At the end of the day, we have to be better. I have to be better. Simple as that.

Finding Perspective in Dubai

We have a break now for Euroleague and me and my family decided to get out of Istanbul for a couple days. Dubai has been a great opportunity to rest, reset, and refocus for the rest of the season. Dubai is the closest place to us that feels kind of like America. It’s warm, we’ve been here before, and the kids love it. In a way, it lets us feel like we went home—even though we really didn’t.

But one thing that really stands out to me while I’m here is how materialistic this place is. You see people driving nice cars, wearing designer clothes, living in luxury—but none of that guarantees happiness. You have to build your happiness on something deeper.

For me, that foundation is the gospel.

Why the Gospel Brings Me Happiness

It’s because it’s constant. It’s not based on how I feel in the moment or what’s happening in the world. It’s objective, not subjective.

The gospel gives me lasting joy, not just temporary happiness. Through Christ’s Atonement, I can make mistakes, learn, and grow. He gave His only begotten Son so that I could have that opportunity. And when I’m struggling, when I feel lost, I turn to scripture. Because He is the light at the end of the tunnel—always.

For you, it might be something different—your faith, your family, your community. But you have to find something real, something that brings lasting fulfillment.

Q&A ❓

Ari on YouTube asked…

My favorite number is 3, and when I played in college at BYU, I wore number 3.

I usually wear number three, when it’s available. When I came to Israel, I wore 3 at Hapoel Eilat and Maccabi I wore 0. Bucks I was able to wear 3 again as well.

But when coming to Efes, I decided to pick a new number.

I went with number six—my wife’s favorite number. It was my way of giving a small nod to her because, honestly, people don’t always realize how much goes into being a professional athlete. It’s never just about the player on the court. There’s a whole team behind the scenes, and for me, she’s the fuel that keeps everything running.

Without her, I wouldn’t be half the player I am. She does it all—from making sure I’m eating right to supporting me emotionally, from taking care of our boys to holding down our family. She’s sacrificed so much—her own dreams, her career in modeling—to live overseas and support my dream. That kind of selfless sacrifice is something I’ll never take for granted.

Wearing number six is the least I can do to honor her.

🚨Want to see your question answered above? Reply to the newsletter or reach out to me on social. I will group all the questions together and be answering them on the newsletter and vlog in the coming weeks. Cheers!🚨

Pre-Game Primer 🏀

Get the Workout PDF here from our game vs Olympiacos.

Why I Lift Before Games Instead of Shooting

I actually first noticed my old teammate Vasilije Micić doing this. He’s an elite player, logging 30-plus minutes a game with a lot of responsibility, so it caught my attention. More recently, I saw Vinnie doing it too. It makes sense—getting warm, cooling down, and then having to ramp back up isn’t always the most efficient approach.

We play so many games, and I was feeling drained at the start. Ever since I made this change—especially with the usual aches and pains that come with a long season—I’ve been focusing on conserving my energy and making sure my body is primed for game time.

I still get plenty of shots up during our regular warmup, but I realized that shooting before warmups, especially when we have a game every other day, was leaving me exhausted. I might add it back at some point, but like I always say, it’s about experimenting—trying different things to improve longevity and maintain energy.

YouTube Journey ▶

This week on the vlog we take on the top dog OLYMPIACOS at their home in Athens. I love the environment of both of the Greek teams and the passion of their fans.

Hope you enjoy!

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Let’s Build Confidence + Consistency™ , on and off the court!

Elijah