Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) greets fans after an NBA game against the Utah Jazz held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Carson Hilton
By Carson Hilton
Carson Hilton has covered high school sports in Utah for the Deseret News since 2022.

Former BYU Cougar Egor Dëmin set an NBA record in his return to Utah during Friday night’s game between the Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets, as he became the first NBA rookie to hit a 3-pointer in 34 consecutive games.

Despite shooting only 27.3% from 3 his freshman year at BYU, he’s made it his biggest asset as an NBA player. He’s jumped up to 39.7% shooting from distance, and hit his 100th career 3-pointer against the Jazz Friday.

In the first quarter of Friday’s game, he shot 3 of 5 from deep and then kept it going, finishing with a career high 25 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.

He finished with six 3-pointers Friday night, shooting 6 of 12.

He said there’s been no magical fix for his shot outside of just consistent work.

“Shooting the ball, pretty much as simple as it is,” Dëmin said. “Just being in the gym and shooting the ball.”

Dëmin caught up with the media ahead of Friday night’s game, and he spoke about his experience in the NBA, playing at BYU and what it’s meant to him to return to Utah.

“It feels awesome. Super excited to be back here,“ Dëmin said. “Obviously, expecting a lot of BYU colors tonight. Just super grateful to be back here.”

He also said he had roughly 30 people show up for him for Friday’s game. Many of them were from his BYU circles.

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Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) shoots the ball during an NBA game against the Utah Jazz held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) pulls up for a jump-shot against Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf (2) during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) looks to the basket as a Utah Jazz player takes a foul shot during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) shoots the ball while guarded by Brooklyn Nets guard Drake Powell (4) during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) lays the ball up as Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) looks on during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) celebrates his 3-pointer during an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernández calls out to his players during an NBA game against the Utah Jazz held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) pulls up for a jump-shot while guarded by Utah Jazz guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) drives the ball past Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf (77) during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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The ball gets loose from Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (8) as Brooklyn Nets defenders surround him during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy talks with guards Svi Mykhailiuk (10) and Keyonte George (3) during an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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A fan holds up a jersey of Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) as Dëmin takes a foul shot during an NBA game against the Utah Jazz held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) controls the ball while guarded by Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) talks with referees during a timeout in an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Jazz dancers perform before an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) gets up after a play against the Brooklyn Nets during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) drives the ball toward the basket while guarded by Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Jazz Bear joins fans as they cheer during an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) dunks the ball during an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Fans reach for a promotional item during an NBA game between the Utah Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) reacts after a play during an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) smiles after a play during an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith talks with Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) after an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) and his teammates make their way toward the bench as a timeout is called while the Jazz trail the Brooklyn Nets late in the fourth quarter during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz fans cheer as a Brooklyn Nets player takes a foul shot during an NBA game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) signs a fan’s jersey after an NBA game against the Utah Jazz held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith smiles as he looks to head coach Will Hardy during an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dëmin (8) greets fans after an NBA game against the Utah Jazz held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

“It’s a lot of (the) culture about BYU,” Dëmin said. “A lot of people know how united the BYU organization is in general. Not just basketball, or just football, or whatever it is, but the whole sports together.

“I’ve been lucky enough to end up in that school and gain so many friends and so many people around me who want the best for me and who I want (the) best for, so it’s just super exciting to be a part of that big BYU family.”

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Dëmin also spoke highly of BYU head coach Kevin Young. When Young was hired by the Cougars, the main selling point was that he could turn BYU into a place where players could come to develop an NBA-level game.

Dëmin was the first of the Young era to make good on that claim, and he’s done so with encouraging numbers. He’s started in 34 games this year for the Nets and will be a participant in the NBA’s Rising Stars game.

“He’s an NBA coach, so he taught me in this one year basically whatever I have to know to be able to play in the NBA level,” Dëmin said of Young. “Maybe not even as much of a skill set-wise, because at the end of the day, you get to the league and you just be yourself. That’s kind of the goal.

“He taught a lot of knowledge, (like) that I come here and I’m ready to play, and I know what we’re doing, and I have an idea of what it is. He gave me this kind of base of an NBA player, to be able to come here and know what’s going on around me.”

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