Bruce Bolden (born November 30, 1963) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He played 17 years in the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia. He won an NBL championship with the

South East Melbourne Magic The South East Melbourne Magic was an Australian basketball team based in Melbourne. The Magic competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) between 1992 and 1998, and played their home games at Rod Laver Arena. In their seven seasons, the ...

in 1992, when he was named the NBL Grand Final Most Valuable Player (MVP). He led the league in rebounding in 1993, and he was also named the

NBL Best Sixth Man The National Basketball League Best Sixth Man is an annual National Basketball League (NBL) award given since the 1996 NBL season The 1996 NBL season was the 18th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 14 teams co ...

in 1999. His final season was played in the

Australian Basketball Association The Australian Basketball Association (ABA) was a semi-professional basketball entity based in Australia. The ABA was Australia's biggest basketball competition for many years. With over 120 teams participating across five leagues and six states ...

with the

Albury Wodonga Bandits Albury Wodonga Bandits is a NBL1 East club based in Albury, New South Wales. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 East. The club is a division of the overarching Border Basketball Club, the major administrative basketball or ...

in 2003–04. His No. 32 was the first jersey to ever be

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

by the

West Sydney Razorbacks The West Sydney Razorbacks (known in its final season as the Sydney Spirit) were an Australian professional basketball team that competed in the National Basketball League (NBL). The club was based in Sydney, New South Wales. They were the s ...

. After retiring as a player, Bolden started MyHoops, a basketball coaching service in Australia for young players from 7 to 18 years old. Bruce often appears as a guest on the Aussie Hoopla podcast where he provides his thoughts on how players can make it to an elite level and his views on basketball in Australia.

Personal life

Bolden’s ex wife is Marie Yacoub. Their son,

Jonah Bolden Jonah Anthony Bolden (born 2 January 1996) is an Australian-American former professional basketball player. He started his professional career with FMP in Serbia, where he was named the ABA League Top Prospect in 2017. He played a season-and-a- ...

, played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

with the

UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). ...

, played professionally in Serbia and in Israel for

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...

. Jonah was drafted in the second round with the 36th pick in the

2017 NBA Draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. Their daughter, Cairo Bolden is a model in New York, USA.

References

External links

NBL stats
at foxsportspulse.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolden, Bruce Living people 1963 births African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Australia American expatriate basketball people in Norway Basketball players from Jackson, Mississippi Basketball players with retired numbers Boise State Broncos men's basketball players Eastside Spectres players Forwards (basketball) South East Melbourne Magic players Sydney Kings players West Sydney Razorbacks players American men's basketball players 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople