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Before signing Elijah Millsap to a 10-day contract, the Jazz reached out and shared the news with his all-star brother first.

And big brother Paul couldn't resist having some fun.

"He did some kind of crazy joke, trying to make me scared," Elijah Millsap said, declining to reveal the details of the prank.

In some ways, that's how it's always been for the younger Millsap.

"He always made me work for things," the newest Jazzman said Monday morning, after his first shootaround with the team. "But he's my biggest supporter and I appreciate him for that."

Elijah Millsap is a 6-foot-5 wing, and a different player than his brother. But there's no doubt the former Jazzman helped shape the new one's game.

"Paul is a physical player. He's a good player. I think it helped my development as a basketball player," Elijah said. "It made me not afraid of going against any kind of competition."

Jazz coach Quin Snyder's relationship with Millsap dates back to the coach's time with the Los Angeles Lakers. Elijah was with the team during training camp and spent the summer playing with the L.A. D-Fenders.

After coming out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham a season early and going undrafted, Millsap has split time overseas — in China, Israel and the Philippines — and the D-League.

Each time he's been in a training camp, he's thought he had a real chance to achieve his dream of making an NBA roster.

"Every single one of them, I thought I had a pretty good chance to make the team," he said. "It didn't work out. I just kept working. Finally, perseverance is paying off."

And it could pay off big.

The Jazz's shooting guard ranks have been thinned by injuries to Alec Burks, Rodney Hood and Patrick Christopher, so Millsap will have a very real chance to see playing time under a coach who is familiar with his game and has shown a willingness to throw new additions right into the fire.

"If you know that a player is going to compete," Snyder said, "… whatever happens after that, good or bad, chalk it up to experience that can help you or we find out about somebody and maybe decide you can go a different direction. I think one of the reasons we brought Elijah in is because of who is and us knowing who he is. He played against us this summer and he did a really good job guarding Dante [Exum] this summer. So when there's needs, the players that fill those needs have to play and we're just undermanned right now."

The 6-foot-5 wing will wear No. 13 because he found out the news on Jan. 3. Millsap was averaging 20.6 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Bakersfield Jam when he was called up.

But it will be defense the Jazz ask him to provide first and foremost.

"He's got a tough defensive mindset," Snyder said. "That's not to diminish him as on offensive player. As far as our team, I think that's something that we need and something that he can bring."

Big brother gets credit for some of that.

"I'm sure Paul made it hard on him growing up," Snyder said. "He toughened him up."

— Aaron Falk