If you are a hardcore NBA enthusiast, you certainly know Elijah Bryant. Yes! He is a former NBA player who played as a squad member of the Milwaukee Bucks that won the 2021 NBA Championship.
The American professional basketball player, at present, wears the Anadolu Efes Jersey representing them in the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL) and the EuroLeague.
He was the college basketball player for the Elon Phoenix and the Brigham Young Cougars for those who do not know.
Perhaps one of the most promising shooting guards of his generation, he has played three different top-level domestic league games in three separate countries, making him one of the few basketball players to achieve this feat.
As a former player of BYU, Bryant became the first player to lift the NBA trophy since two BYU alumni Danny Ainge and Greg Kite did it for the Boston Celtics back in 1986. Interesting, isn’t it?
This article will explore more about his life, and exciting career, including his hard-earned entry into the NBA Championship, wife, child, and much more.
But, before moving into the details, let’s check out some quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Elijah Brigham Bryant |
| Date of Birth | April 19, 1995 |
| Birth Place | Gwinnett County, Georgia, USA |
| Nick Name | None |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Unknown |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Age | 28 years old |
| Height | 1.96 m (6 feet 5 inches) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Not available |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Israel Bryant |
| Mother’s Name | Reginald Strother |
| Siblings | A younger brother |
| Sibling’s name | Choe Bryant-Strother |
| Education |
|
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife’s Name | Jenelle Fraga |
| Kids | A son |
| Kid’s Name | Blu |
| Profession | Professional basketball player |
| NBA Draft | 2018 (Undrafted) |
| Position | Shooting guard/ Point guard |
| League |
|
| Active Years | (2018–present) |
| Net Worth | $1.5-$1.8 million |
| Currently Plays For | Anadolu Efes |
| Career Highlights & Awards |
|
| Social Media | Twitter, Instagram |
| Merch | Paperback |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Early Life, Family & Education
Elijah Brigham Bryant, popularly known as Elijah Bryant, was born on April 19, 1995, to his father, Israel Bryant, and mother, Reginald Strother. His mother is a physician.
As a child, Elijah grew up tall and stocky quite sooner than normal children as he had a growth spurt. So, due to his towering height, he started playing basketball against older boys in the suburb.
He joined New Hampton School in New Hampshire, talking about his school days. As he had a stout and athletic physique even at that time, he did quite well in the basketball games while playing for his school team.
While still at school, he helped the Huskies reach the NEPSAC AAA final, scoring an average of four rebounds, 13 points, and four assists per game.
After school, Bryant pursued his basketball career at the Elon Phoenix of Elon University. He later shifted to Brigham Young University.
His brother, Choe Bryant-Strother, plays college football at UCLA.
Elijah Bryant | Career
College Career
Bryant displayed his brilliance in basketball games soon after showcasing his talent at Elon University.
He started his college career scoring an average of 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.7 assists per game in his freshman year. He even earned CAA Rookie of the year in 2015, but this could not hold him there.
Soon after, he went to Brigham Young University but remained on the beach throughout the first season as per the NCAA transfer rules.
In his sophomore year, Bryant recorded 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, playing only 23 games the entire season due to a knee injury.
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In 2018, Bryan disclosed his plans to graduate and opted for a professional career.
Professional Career
Elijah Bryant tried his luck to get into the NBA Championship in 2018 but remained undrafted. However, even though he failed to fulfill his dreams of playing in the NBA, he did not give up.
After failing to pick his place in the NBA, he took a flight to Israel to pursue a career in the Israeli Premier League with Hapoel Eilat.
Bryant played exceptional games in the Israeli club the whole season, contributing to winning the game against a much better team, Bnei Herzlia, on October 29, 2018.
Moreover, Bryant earned Player of the Month on December 4 for his excellent performance in different league games hosted in November.
However, his team secured a place in the 2019 Israeli League Final Four, finishing as the league’s fourth-highest scorer.
Shortly after his time in Israel, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2019 NBA Summer League.
He returned to the Israeli League in 2019, signing a contract for two years with the league’s mighty club, Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Again, he performed well in both the EuroLeague and the Israeli league until finally leaving the club in 2021 to join the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA.
The year 2021 proved to be an excellent year for him. While the athlete fulfilled his dream of being a regular player in the biggest domestic basketball league in the country, his team.
Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship defeating the Phoenix Suns in the NBA finals. However, on October 14, he was released from the club.
Bryant signed for the Turkish basketball club Anadolu Efes on October 18, 2021.
Age, Height & Religion
As of 2024, the NBA champion is 28 years of age. The 6 ft 5 in player celebrates his birthday on the 19th of April every year.
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As mentioned in the article above, he gained height as an adult due to the emergence of a condition, growth spurt, while he was still a child. The young athlete towers at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 meters).
However, he weighs just around 210 lb (95 kg) despite his tall height.
Well, surprisingly enough, we found a lot of people are curious about what his religion is. So here we have a piece of information for you.
Elijah Bryant is a Christian and is currently a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He now remembers that he was not so active in Church activities as a teenager. But, over the years, the young athlete developed close ties with the people of faith and later converted into a devotee of the Church of Latter-day Saints.
He believes all his successes and achievements have so much to do with his familial support and, of course, his faith in God.
Elijah Bryant | Wife & Kids
Elijah Bryant married his girlfriend, Jenelle Fraga in August 2017. The duo had met at a party hosted by their mutual friends while Bryant was busy shaping his career at BYU.
Soon they became close friends and began dating, eventually marrying at a ceremony in the Salt Lake Temple, Utah.
He considers himself fateful to transfer to BYU because he could improve as a player participating in high-level basketball games and progress as an able student, too, while he was there.
The couple, at present, has a baby boy, Blu. The moment of birth of his kid holds a special place in his heart because he was born just 72 hours later after his team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, won the Israeli Premier League back in 2020.
His family currently lives between Istanbul, Utah, and Atlanta.
Net Worth, Salary & Career Earnings
Regarded as the guard with enormous potential to turn over the game in crucial moments, Elijah Bryant has a net worth of around $1.5-$1.8 million.
However, various sources have different information regarding his net worth, some even mention his net worth to be up to $5 million.
The current shooting guard of Anadolu Efes mostly earns from league games. From his most recent signing with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2020/21 regular season, he received a total of $24,611.
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Not much is known about the salary details that he receives for the games in the Turkish league. However, seeing his lavish lifestyle, one can assume that he earns a handsome amount annually.
Apart from career earnings, he had also generated income selling his merch while at the Milwaukee Bucks.
Awards & Achievements of Elijah Bryant
Although it has only been like five years of his professional career, he has achieved quite a lot in a very short time. Here are some of them:
- NBA Champion (2021)
- Israeli League Champion (2020)
- All-Israeli League First Team (2019)
- First-team-All-WCC (2018)
Likewise, his achievements in his college career should not go unnoticed. Here are some of the achievements of his college days:
- Third-team All-CAA (2015)
- CAA Rookie of the Year (2015)
Elijah Bryant on Social Media
Elijah Bryant posts regularly on his Instagram and Twitter handles.
He mostly posts photos and videos of his training sessions with his teammates. Likewise, there are a lot of photos of his wife and kid on Instagram and Twitter.
But, unfortunately for his fans, his Insta account is private which is quite unusual for a celebrity player.
Bryant also has a Youtube channel with the username EB&J but is mostly run by his wife. She frequently posts short video clips related to their family.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Elijah Bryant in the NBA?
No, he is currently at the club, Anadolu Efes, playing for the domestic league in Turkey. However, he was in Milwaukee Bucks in May 2021 for a very short time. He made a debut in Buck’s regular-season finale and appeared in a few games, contributing to the team’s campaign for the NBA Finals.
Did Elijah Bryant serve an LDS mission?
As a church member, it is quite natural for him to participate in its missions. So yes, he played for a while in Italy, where he served the LDS Church mission. As mentioned above, he is quite open about his faith and endorses it wholeheartedly.
Is Elijah Bryant related to Kobe Bryant?
No, Elijah and Kobe are unrelated. Though they share the same surname, there is no news linking the star players on the internet. However, people are often curious to know whether they share some relationship.
