Joel Bolomboy facts for kids
Bolomboy in 2018
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| No. 21 – Crvena zvezda | |
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| Center / power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 28, 1994 Donetsk, Ukraine |
| Nationality | Russian / American |
| High school | Keller Central (Fort Worth, Texas) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 233 lb (106 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Weber State (2012–2016) |
| NBA Draft | 2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52nd overall |
| Selected by the Utah Jazz | |
| Pro career | 2016–present |
| League | KLS ABA League EuroLeague |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2017 | Utah Jazz |
| 2016–2017 | →Salt Lake City Stars |
| 2017–2018 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2017–2018 | →Wisconsin Herd |
| 2018–2022 | CSKA Moscow |
| 2022–2023 | Olympiacos |
| 2023–present | Crvena zvezda |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Joel Bolomboy (born January 28, 1994) is a professional basketball player. He was born in Donetsk, Ukraine, and later became a Russian citizen in 2018. Joel plays as a center or power forward for Crvena zvezda. This team competes in the Serbian KLS, the ABA League, and the EuroLeague. Before turning pro, he played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats. In 2016, he was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year.
Contents
Joel Bolomboy: A Basketball Star
Early Life and College Days
Joel Bolomboy was born in Donetsk, Ukraine. His father is from Congo, and his mother is Russian. When Joel was very young, less than three years old, his family moved to Fort Worth, Texas in the United States. He grew up there and later said he didn't remember anything about Ukraine.
He attended Keller Central High School in Fort Worth. Even though bigger colleges like Clemson and Florida State were interested, Joel chose to play for Weber State.
During his time in college, Joel became a fantastic rebounder. A rebounder is a player who grabs the ball after a missed shot. He set new records for the most rebounds ever at Weber State and in the entire Big Sky Conference.
In the 2015–16 season, Joel not only continued to be a great rebounder but also scored more points. He averaged almost 18 points and nearly 13 rebounds per game. After this amazing season, he was recognized as one of the best players. He was named to the first-team All-Big Sky Conference. He also won the awards for the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
Playing Pro Basketball
Starting with the Utah Jazz
On June 23, 2016, Joel Bolomboy was chosen by the Utah Jazz in the 2016 NBA draft. He was the 52nd player picked overall. He officially signed with the Jazz in August 2016.
Joel played his first NBA game on October 30, 2016. During his first year, he also spent time playing for the Salt Lake City Stars. This team is the Utah Jazz's partner team in the D-League (now called the G League). While playing for the Stars, he averaged 16.5 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. In October 2017, the Jazz decided to let him go.
Time with the Milwaukee Bucks
Soon after leaving the Jazz, Joel signed a special two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on October 20, 2017. A two-way contract means a player can split their time between an NBA team and its G League team. For Joel, this meant playing for both the Bucks and their G League team, the Wisconsin Herd. However, he was released from the Bucks in January 2018.
A few days later, on January 10, 2018, Joel re-signed with the Wisconsin Herd to continue playing in the G League.
Joining CSKA Moscow
On August 8, 2018, Joel moved to Europe and signed a three-year contract with CSKA Moscow. This is a very famous basketball team in Russia that plays in the VTB United League. In March 2020, he signed an extension to stay with the club for two more years.
However, on February 28, 2022, Joel left CSKA Moscow for personal reasons.
Playing for Olympiacos
On July 6, 2022, Joel signed a one-year deal with Olympiacos. This is a top team in Greece that plays in the Greek Basket League and the Euroleague. In the EuroLeague, he averaged 3.8 points and 3 rebounds per game. He played about 11 minutes in each game. In Greece's domestic league, he averaged 5.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. He was released from the Greek club on July 5, 2023.
Current Team: Crvena zvezda
On July 14, 2023, Joel Bolomboy signed a one-year contract with Crvena zvezda. This team is based in Serbia and plays in the Serbian KLS, the Adriatic League, and the EuroLeague.
Playing for His Country
Joel was invited to try out for the Ukraine national basketball team in 2014. This was before the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. However, he got injured during practice and couldn't play in any games. He was also on Ukraine's preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2017 but didn't make the final team.
In November 2018, Joel Bolomboy became a Russian citizen. After that, he played for the Russia national basketball team. He played in the qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the EuroBasket 2022. He missed the 2019 World Cup because of an injury.
Joel's Achievements
Joel Bolomboy has won many championships and awards throughout his career:
- He is a EuroLeague champion, winning in 2019.
- He has won the VTB United League championship twice (2019, 2021).
- He is an ABA League champion (2024).
- He won the Serbian League championship in 2024.
- He is a Greek League champion (2023).
- He won the Greek Cup in 2023.
- He won the Serbian Cup in 2024.
- He won the Greek Super Cup in 2022.
- In college, he was named Big Sky Player of the Year in 2016.
- He was also named to the First-team All-Big Sky Conference in 2016.
- He received an Honorable Mention All-American award from the AP in 2016.
- He was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year twice (2014, 2016).
See also
In Spanish: Joel Bolomboy para niños
