Sometimes I wake up in the morning, and I have no clue where I am or who I’m with. – Joel Bolomboy
By the time you read this, Joel Bolomboy could be a member of the Utah Jazz — or maybe not. He’s been passed back and forth between Jazz and the Salt Lake City Stars — their D-League team — like a human hot potato. For the record, he’s been called up to the Jazz or sent back down to the Stars 33 times so far this season, some times twice in the same day.
Bolomboy is a 6-foot-9 office temp.
“Sometimes I wake up in the morning, and I have no clue where I am or who I’m with,” he says.
One night he could be suiting up against the L.A. Lakers and the next night he might be playing against the Delaware 87ers or the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
He has appeared in nine games for the Jazz this season and totaled five points and 10 rebounds. He’s appeared in 22 games for the Stars and averaged 16 points and a league-leading 13 rebounds per game.
Bolomboy, a 2016 second-round draft pick from Weber State, is a work in progress. The Jazz reason that he has more to gain on the floor with the Stars than on the bench with the Jazz.
“We view the D-League as a powerful developmental tool,” says Bart Taylor, director of scouting for the Jazz and VP of basketball operations for the Stars. “It can really help young guys. Early on, we had a lot of injuries so it made sense to have him with the Jazz. Now, with the team being healthy, we want to err on the side of his development and get him minutes. He understands it’s an important part of his development.”
The Jazz moved the Stars from Boise to Salt Lake City this season to facilitate such free player movement between the two clubs. Similarly, the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose D-League team also is based in the same city, have been giving the Bolomboy treatment to forward Josh Huestis — he has been moved between the parent club and the D-League Oklahoma City Blue 20 times this season.
No one’s name appears on the NBA transaction list as often as Bolomboy’s. That gives him the flexibility to, say, practice in the morning with the Stars and then that night participate in the Jazz’s pre-game warmup or sit behind the bench absorbing NBA lessons. Even when he is called up to the Jazz, it is rarely to play; mostly, he is there to be around the NBA game and learn. Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey, Mike Wells (Bolomboy’s position coach) and Taylor meet weekly to discuss, among other things, what to do with Bolomboy that week.
“It’s been a fun process,” says Bolomboy. “I get an opportunity to play and to get better, and when I’m with the Jazz I try to learn and pick up things from teammates, then come down here and test it out. Sometimes we experiment with things they want me to do, whether it’s running a play for me or posting up or shooting a three.”
Bolomboy was born in Ukraine. His father Joseph was from the Democratic Republic of Congo and his mother Tatyana from Russia. Joseph attended a Russian university on an academic scholarship and met Tatyana while completing his studies there. The family moved to the U.S. when Joel was 4 and settled in Fort Worth, Texas.
"They came here for a better life for them and to raise me and give me opportunities,” says Bolomboy.
He underwent the predictable challenges. Joseph was the only family member who spoke English when they arrived in the U.S. Bolomboy, who speaks French and Russian, learned English in ESL classes and picked it up so quickly that he wound up helping his mom with her school work.
He began playing organized basketball in the seventh grade and a few years later the recruiters showed up. He says Clemson and Florida State offered him scholarships, but when told that they planned to redshirt him as a freshman he balked.
Instead, he chose Weber State, believing he could play there as a freshman. He was right, and he made an immediate impact, going on to play in 130 games during the next four years. He became the all-time leading rebounder in Big Sky Conference history, helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA Tournament twice, and was named conference MVP and Defensive Player of the Year (twice). The Jazz chose him with the 52nd pick of the draft.
“We think he’s a very good athlete,” says Taylor. “He could be a very good defensive player in the league, and he’s improving from three. We’re working on his outside shooting. He could be a big role player in the future. He still has a lot of work to do, but we want to invest time and energy in him. He’s a good worker and one of the guys you like to see succeed.”
Bouncing back and forth
June 23 — Drafted by the Jazz with the 52nd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft
Aug. 19 — Signed Joel Bolomboy.
Nov. 3 — Assigned Joel Bolomboy to the Salt Lake City Stars of the D-League.
Nov. 4 — Recalled Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars of the D-League.
Nov. 21 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Nov. 22 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Dec. 9 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Dec. 10 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Dec. 11 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Dec. 12 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Dec. 15 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Dec. 19 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Dec. 22 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Dec. 23 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Dec. 29 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
— Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Dec. 30 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Dec. 31 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Jan. 2 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Jan. 9 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Jan. 12 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Jan. 23 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Jan. 26 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
— Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Jan. 27 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Jan. 28 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League.
Jan. 31 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
Feb 10 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League
Feb. 16 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League
Feb. 21 – Recalled Joel Bolomboy from D-League
Feb. 22 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League
March 1 – Recalled Joe Bolomboy from D-League.
March 2 – Assigned Joel Bolomboy to D-League.
March 6 — Recalled Joe Bolomboy from D-League.