Brittney Elena carries many different titles.
She is an actress, TV personality, model and social media influencer who has garnered a substantial following that has landed her the coveted position of hosting the 2022 McDonald’s All American Games set for Tuesday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
The girls game is at 6:30 p.m. ET time on ESPN2 and the boys game is at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Elena has been featured on Nick Cannon’s hit MTV show “Wild N Out,” on the podcast show “Bronzeville” and in the Netflix movie “Deuces”.
As a model, she has been featured in ads for clothing and skin care lines for brands such as Nike, Oh Polly, Homme + Femme, StockX and others.
A recurring theme throughout her career thus far has been combining two of her passions: entertainment and basketball.
Growing up in California, she found basketball as something to do after school and she always sought out a way to become part of the team at every turn.
“The main reason I started playing was because I didn’t have anywhere to go after school,” she said. “I didn’t make the basketball team but I wanted to play so I agreed to be the water girl and to be part of the team in any way.”
In the process, Elena taught herself how to play without any formal coaching; she appreciates the family atmosphere that the game provided her.
Elena considers the late Kobe Bryant to be her basketball idol and has incorporated much of his sensibilities and work ethic into her career.
“One of the reasons I started watching basketball was Kobe Bryant” she said. “His dedication, his consistency and his Mamba Mentality, I used that a lot whenever I feel like I want to give up.”
Elena recently did a photo shoot donning the Lower Marion High School No. 33 in homage to Bryant.
She has a true love for the game, plus a love for movies and acting that has led down a path of already-tremendous success. Her major break came in 2016 when she hosted “Bet Experience: Sprite Celebrity Basketball Game” featuring Jemele Hill, Deon Cole, DeRay Davis, Nick Cannon and former NBA player Doug Christie. She would then go on to host the show “JC Tha Barber” about celebrity barber Jc Hammons who cuts the hair of stars.
All this has led Elena to add another milestone in her already-growing repertoire and that is the McDonald’s All American Game, which is not unfamiliar territory for obvious reasons. She has worked with McDonald’s through the NBA in the past.
“I had a relationship with them and they ended up reaching out to me, which I was really excited about” she said.
Elena is anticipating greatness from the pool of talent coming to the Windy City.
“I am looking forward to, one, just being here in the position I am in now and having fun with the kids” she said. “Just being in that environment with the best of the best in the country gives me adrenaline just to be a part of such an exciting event.”
Elena intends to bring fun and authenticity that the audience can identify with and it is safe to say that she is destined to do additional big things afterwards.
Elena has what both Cannon and Bryant have, which is that renaissance resume that opens the doors to endless possibilities.