The brother of a Euroleague star disappeared in Chicago! Several basketball players from the French national team are asking for help in finding him
Article by David Istrate – Published Monday, March 02, 2026, 5:29 p.m. / Updated Monday, March 02, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
Elijah Hoard (23), the brother of Maccabi Tel Aviv EuroLeague player Jaylen Hoard, went missing on Friday, February 27, when he was supposed to board a plane to return from the United States to France. During Monday, March 2, Elijah's brothers posted several messages on social media, asking for help to find the former ASVEL Villeurbane basketball player.
With averages of 12.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 15.7 efficiencyMaccabi Tel Aviv player Jaylen Hoard is one of the most consistent basketball players in the current Euroleague season.
The member of the French national team is not, however, the only member of his family connected to basketball. Both his sisters and Elijah, his brother, played the sport, another area that unites the Hoard family.
Left by his father at O'Hare airport in Chicago, Elijah Hoard did not board the plane and is nowhere to be found
In recent days, Jaylen and his relatives are going through a terrible time after what Elijah Hoard, 23, went missing at the end of February. He had flown to Chicago to visit his father and spent 10 days in the American metropolis.
On Friday, February 27, Elijah was supposed to return to France, and his father dropped him off at Chicago's O'Hare airport. According to information provided by the Hoard family, Elijah did not board the plane and has been missing for several days.
Elijah Hoard with Antwon, his father/Photo: abc7chicago.com
“To my knowledge he was supposed to validate his ticket and board the plane but for some reason he never boarded and his bags were not checked in. We think he might be somewhere around the airport because that's where we last saw him,” said Antwon Hoard, Elijah's father, quoted by abc7chicago.com.
“Everything seemed normal for the first 8 days, but in the last two days his condition completely changed and he was very vocal about not wanting to come home,” added Antwon, who revealed that his son suffers from mental problems and that his phone has been switched off since Friday.
Both Jaylen Hoard and his sisters Anaia and Leah have posted numerous stories on Instagram asking for help in finding Elijah. The news was also distributed by other teammates of Jaylen from the French national team, such as Mathias Lessort or Adam Mokoka, the former player of U-BT Cluj-Napoca.
