FIRST THINGS FIRST! Happy New Year to this AMAZING Playbook Community.

I just want to say first THANK YOU for your support as we continue on this great basketball and athlete journey together. I am really excited for 2025 and how to provide even more value and support back to you guys. So stay tuned! BIG THINGS COMING!🚀

As we close up the holiday season, it’s somehow a bit strange as a pro athlete how different the holidays are from before

Because of travel, my family had to celebrate Christmas before I left for the Turkish League game against Denizli, and Christmas day I was flying to Monaco for our Euroleague game on the 26th.

As a player you're so focused on the season, or you're in such a rhythm of practice, travel, game, recovery, flight, bus, hotel, etc. that you kind of forget the holidays and you don't really have time to take a mental break because you're always on edge.

I've been watching this Aaron Rodgers documentary and it's been very relatable in terms of being introverted, he’s trying to be extroverted and a leader on the court.

Trying to lead and trying to motivate others while also trying to motivate yourself… it takes a lot of mental willpower.

And with all that pressure and responsibility on the court, where do you find the time to decompress from basketball?

For Aaron, it was meditation, going to Egypt or abroad, he even tried Ayahuasca. Anything to try and get a break from it.

One thing that he talked about as well in the documentary was the criticism that comes with being in the spotlight of professional sports.

I find it super interesting how people can be so critical of athletes but not fully understand what it's like to be in those shoes. I'm not saying I'm Aaron Rodgers, but having played for years in Europe and NBA, I can understand the weight of that pressure; not only from the Outside world, but also from yourself.

From the outside, you have people, media, your team ,your coaches….you have little control over this and the noise will always be there.

But also, every athlete (at your level or Aaron Rodgers level) has some some sort of pressure they put on themselves because they want to be great and that's why they are who they are.

And we've talked about it before in terms of imposter syndrome, he talks about it at the end of the last episode saying, you know, even I have to question myself sometimes after even wanting an MVP, you know, can I do this again?

If even Aaron Rodgers is having those thoughts… if he has to remind himself, “I'm the freaking man”… just know you aren’t alone in questioning yourself on your journey. Or your ability.

Those are thoughts that lead me back what we talked about before. “What we plant in our garden will grow”. So we have to be very cautious of what we're putting in our garden to grow, no matter what part of the journey we're on. Playing pro, just starting, or in college, it doesn't matter. Be intentional about what you let grow in your garden.

Q&A ❓

Hadido9431 on YouTube asked…

I’m really excited that the community is growing and there’s more ways I can provide you guys insights into what has worked for me in my career. Whether it’s health, diet, mental/mindset, or general life, I hope that I can help you get one step closer to your goals as an athlete.

In case you missed it, here’s also a link directly to my plantar fasciitis guide. I’ll be uploading more and more guides here within the Playbook community, so stay tuned!

🚨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!🚨

YouTube Journey▶

This week on the vlog, we take on last year’s Euroleague Champions, Panithinaikos. Led by my old coach Ergin Ataman and some very strong players in Sloukas, Nunn, Lessort and more, it won’t be an easy task!

And if you missed the previous week’s video, we went to Lithuania to take on the Zalgiris team at home. Their Fans brought the noise (as always)! In this one, I really broke down the game film and I hope that it was beneficial to you all. Let me know either here or in the comments on the video.

Moment Of Reflection 🙏

Sacrifice

With Christmas, I was reflecting a lot about traditions and family, and on the life I’ve chosen.

It’s a life that comes with a lot of blessings, but also comes with a lot of sacrifice.

As I mentioned before, we opened our presents before Christmas because I needed to fly on Christmas to Monaco for our EuroLeague game. Before Christmas Eve we were traveling for a Turkish League game as well. So there wasn’t any time off. In my childhood, these holidays were a time reserved for family, rest, good food, and reflection.

 Now, they are hectic,stressful, travel days, and time away from family.

There’s a lot of things you have to sacrifice in order to be great.

Not just in basketball, but in anything.

I sacrifice time away from family. Time with friends.

Maintaining real friendships takes work and time and even during the summer I need to focus on Basketball and the little time I have in the States with my family back home.

You start to question yourself, “Am I being selfish?”

It was a lot easier to stay longer at the gym when I didn’t have two kids at home.

When you’re trying to be the best you can be, you stay longer in the gym. You sacrifice that time with your kids. That time with your wife.

That’s the kind of stuff you need to be willing to sacrifice in order to be exceptional. And a lot of people won’t do it.

And I don’t fault them for it. I know sometimes I give in too. But the people who do… Kobe, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers. Go watch their documentaries or read their books. They would sacrifice everything.

How much are you willing to sacrifice for what you really want?

If you do that over a period of time, and you’re consistent, you’ll get what you want.

There will be highs. There will be lows.

But if you’re consistent, you’ll get what you want.

Thank you for grabbing your Playbook 🙏

I hope you like the new version of Playbook. If you have comments or questions or suggestions, PLEASE respond to the newsletter about anything. I want to hear from you and I promise, I read every response. My goal is to continue making a great Playbook and building a great community where we all get better together. And you’re a part of that journey!

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

Elijah