Egor Demin’s Utah Homecoming: A Rookie’s Rise, a Family Reunited, and a Career-Best Night
SALT LAKE CITY - Egor Demin returned to Utah on Friday night, but this time, it wasn’t with a BYU jersey on his back. It was as a Brooklyn Net - and he made sure his first NBA game in Salt Lake City was one to remember.
From the moment he stepped onto the Delta Center floor, Demin looked right at home. And in many ways, he was.
The Moscow native spent his freshman year just 45 minutes south at BYU, and the local crowd treated him like one of their own. The Jazz may have been the home team on paper, but judging by the cheers, it felt like Demin had a second fan base in the building.
“I wish they were all here,” Demin said, referring to BYU head coach Kevin Young and the Cougars, who were on the road facing Kansas. “I would get them all tickets, that’s for sure.”
Even without the entire BYU squad in attendance, Demin had plenty of familiar faces in the stands - about 30 invited guests, including former Cougar forward Travis Hansen and his wife, LaRee. The Hansens became a second family to Demin during his time in Provo, offering him a home-cooked meal and a sense of belonging when he was thousands of miles from his own family.
“They impacted me in many ways in that short period of time,” Demin said. “They keep visiting me in New York - I just saw them earlier today. They’re very cool people.”
Demin made sure to return the favor, visiting the Hansens before tipoff. And if Hansen hadn’t shown up to the game?
“If he wasn’t there, I would be mad,” Demin said with a laugh. “I would give him a call.”
A Career Night on Familiar Turf
Once the ball was tipped, Demin wasted no time making his presence felt. He knocked down three triples in the first quarter alone - including his 100th career three-pointer - and continued to pour it on from there.
The 6-foot-8 guard finished with a career-high 25 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in Brooklyn’s 106-99 win over the Jazz. It was his first double-double as a pro and a performance that underscored why the Nets took him with the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft.
That opening-quarter flurry also marked his 34th game with a made three - the most by an NBA rookie since the league introduced the 3-point line in 1979. Not bad for a player whose shooting was a question mark coming out of college.
At BYU, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game, but shot just 27.3% from deep. While scouts debated his perimeter game, Brooklyn saw something more - and so far, they’ve been proven right.
“A lot of people questioned his shooting, but we believed in it from the beginning,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “His passing, his vision, his size, his rebounding - those things translate right away, and we see it now.”
Demin’s ability to impact games beyond just scoring has been evident all season. His court awareness and feel for the game - traits honed during his time with Real Madrid’s academy in Spain and further developed at BYU - have helped him earn a starting role on one of the league’s youngest rosters.
“There’s a reason why he’ll be at All-Star weekend,” Fernandez added, referencing Demin’s selection to the Rising Stars Game on Feb. 13 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. He’ll be the first Net to appear in the showcase since Jarrett Allen and Rodions Kurucs in 2019.
From Provo to Brooklyn - and Still Climbing
Demin’s journey has been anything but conventional. He left home early to join Real Madrid’s youth system, then took a leap of faith by coming to BYU - a school and culture far removed from his life in Russia. But he embraced it fully, crediting the university and its community for shaping him both on and off the court.
“I’ve been lucky enough to end up at that school,” Demin said. “I gained so many friends and so many people around me who wanted the best for me, and I want the best for them. It’s just super exciting to be a part of that big BYU family.”
That family has followed him to the NBA, where he’s averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 40.3% from the field. He’s earned his minutes and continues to grow into his role, even as he acknowledges there’s still room to improve.
“I’m just trying to stay focused on what I can do best on the court,” Demin said. “And how can I get better every day.”
It’s that mindset - coupled with his skill set - that’s made Demin one of the more intriguing rookies in the league this season. And if Friday night in Salt Lake City was any indication, he’s only scratching the surface.
For one night, Demin was back in Utah. And he reminded everyone - from the fans in Provo to the scouts who once doubted his shot - just how far he’s come.