From Bankstown to the NBA via cryptocurrency career change, Jonah Bolden joins the Sydney Kings
Back in basketball with his hometown club, Jonah Bolden reveals how several NBA stars helped inspire his return to the court. MATT LOGUE has details.
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He has gone from the Bankstown Bruins to the NBA and then a career change in cryptocurrency, now Jonah Bolden is back in basketball with his hometown Sydney Kings.
Bolden’s intriguing career has come full circle, with the former Philadelphia 76er penning a one-year deal at the Kings.
The son of Sydney legend Bruce Bolden selected the Kings’ proven system as his pathway to the top after quitting basketball in 2020 to pursue his passion for bitcoin.
Three years on, Bolden is ready to put aside his business ventures to focus on professional hoops again on the NBL stage with the back-to-back champions.
🇦🇺 x 🇦🇺
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) January 22, 2019
Jonah Bolden and Ben Simmons come up BIG against the Rockets. pic.twitter.com/zBQGNpO6C5
He revealed his “competitive itch” returned in February following a training session at his former US college – University of California - during the NBA All-Star break.
The one-off session sparked Bolden’s basketball muscle memory and inspired him to resume regular training again in Irvine, California.
The chance to compete alongside current NBA players like Norman Powell (Clippers), Alex Caruso (Bulls) and athletes from Europe and other leagues, motivated him to dust off the sneakers after an extended hiatus.
“Being in that environment again was the trigger for me,” Bolden said.
“In that moment I sat back and realised I wasn’t 40 and at the stage for retirement.
“Then the itch really started to kick in at the beginning of the NBA playoffs.
“But it started earlier this year when I was getting back into the basketball scene and being around guys working out.
“Then going up and down the floor brought back a lot of memories.”
Bolden had multiple options to resume his hoops career, but the lure of returning home to Sydney to play for the Kings was too appealing.
Some of his fondest childhood memories growing up in the Harbour City are sitting courtside at the old Kingdome watching his father Bruce dominate during four seasons in the iconic purple and gold.
“I’m excited to join the Kings for many reasons, first and foremost, I get to represent the city I grew up in and play for the club and wear the same jersey as my dad did, which is really special,” he said about his dad Bruce Bolden, who played 110 NBL games for the Kings between 1995-98.
“Many of my first basketball memories or photos are me with a Kings basketball in my hands or with a Kings shirt on, showing how ingrained this club is in my life.
“Further to that the way the whole organisation has gone to whole another level is really impressive, with great structures in place – highlighted by the success they had over the past few seasons.”
Bolden’s signature comes as the Kings are poised to lose championship-winning guard Dejan Vasiljevic to a European club.
Vasiljevic, who will play at this year’s NBA Summer League, recently declared he is keeping his options open despite having a season to run on his deal.
His expected departure will leave the Kings with three starting roster spots to fill for next season.
Bolden, though, is a positive signing for Sydney.
He started his basketball journey as a junior with the Bankstown Bruins, before being selected to make his NSW debut in 2013 at the under 18s national championships – a tournament he guided his state to the grand final, averaging 18 points and 13 rebounds per game.
On the back of this, Bolden was selected to represent Australia at the 2013 FIBA under 19s World Championships in the Czech Republic.
Soon after, Bolden relocated to the United States and played at both Nevada’s Findlay College Prep and New England’s Brewster Academy.
A three-year college stint at UCLA followed before being selected 36th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Prior to his 48 appearances for the 76ers, Bolden had stints at Serbia’s Košarkaški Klub FMP and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, winning trophies in both 2017 and 2018.
During his time in the US, the now 27-year-old has played for the Phoenix Suns and G-League side, the Delaware Blue Coats – which led to him making his senior Boomers debut in August 2019 against Canada.
Bolden looked destined for a decent stint in America until he found himself at a career crossroads in 2020.
The NBA announced it would resume in a biosecurity bubble at Disney World and the Sydney raised big man realised his personal interests and basketball career weren’t complementing each other.
At the centre was Bolden’s growing business empire is his private equity firm, Bolden Ventures, which specialises in investing in open-source and blockchain technology, and his digital design and creative agency, Mative Labs.
He has spent the past three years building his business, but he still has a desire to compete on the basketball court.
It’s why Bolden will temporarily put his entrepreneurial ways aside in a bid to relaunch his hoops career at the Kings.
“I feel I can bring basketball maturity and leadership to the Kings’ group, as well as an awareness of how to make others around me better,” said Bolden, who won the Adriatic League Top Prospect Award in 2017 and finished runner-up in the 2018 EuroLeague Rising Star Award to now NBA All-Star Luka Doncic.
“I’ve never been a ball-first kind of guy, rather helping my teammates get the right shot and get them going for the benefit of the team.
“As a player, my size and length will allow me to be disruptive on defence but also grab rebounds and push the ball up the court, to allow others to get easy shots.
“Combine that with my ability to stretch the floor and willingness to get down and grind, I’m confident I can help the team build towards a third straight title.”
Kings CEO Chris Pongrass believes adding someone of Bolden’s pedigree and resume will bolster the Kings’ frontcourt.
Pongrass concedes it will be a challenge for the ex-76ers forward to acclimatise again following three seasons on the sidelines, but he has faith.
“Everyone knows the talent that Jonah possesses - his length, athleticism and range make him an immediate threat,” Pongrass said.
“Don’t get me wrong, it is not an easy task returning from an extended absence, but we are invested in providing Jonah with the building blocks and a system that allows him to get back to playing at the highest level.
“Of course, this is a unique situation - Jonah’s intentions and love for the game are pure, and we are thrilled to provide him with a platform to return.
“Jonah has a lot more to prove in basketball.”
Originally published as From Bankstown to the NBA via cryptocurrency career change, Jonah Bolden joins the Sydney Kings
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