CAMDEN, N.J. -- Jonah Bolden had goals for June and July.
Get drafted to the NBA: Check.
Compete in summer league: He’s set to achieve that, too.
The Sixers selected Bolden with the 36th pick in the draft last week. He is under contract with KK FMP Beograd in Serbia, making his availability for summer league, as well as next season in the NBA, uncertain.
He has addressed the short-term objective and was at the first day of minicamp on Thursday.
“I wanted to do it,” Bolden said of summer league. “It was just coming down to getting the clearance from my team back in Europe. Now it’s a go.”
Bolden has a unique reason behind his desire to play in summer league. It doesn’t have to do with being part of NBA action or spending two weeks in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
NBA
The Australian native wants to show the NBA stage who he is.
“A lot of people deem me as the mystery kid in the draft,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got a lot to prove. Summer league is a great opportunity for that.”
Bolden’s path to the Sixers has been far from direct. Born in Melbourne, he moved to the United States to play high school basketball. First he attended Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, then Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Bolden played one year at UCLA before turning pro. He pursued basketball in Serbia, where he was named Adriatic League Youth Player of the Year.
That’s a lot of stops for a 21-year-old.
Bolden was more limited in his pre-draft activities than other players that made the rounds visiting organizations across the country. He was part of a pro day in mid-June but did not participate in any team-led workouts at their practice facilities.
If Bolden was a “mystery” to some people, though, he wasn’t one to the Sixers’ staff. Brett Brown coached against Bolden’s father, Bruce, during their days of professional basketball in Melbourne. President of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo also saw Bolden play this past season.
“[I] was impressed with his ability to impact the game both rebounding, defensively and even scoring,” Colangelo said last week. “His ability to step outside and shoot the three, very mobile, athletic, power-forward type.”
Bolden will wear a Sixers' uniform for now. He still has to determine where he will be playing next season.
“After summer league, we’ll see how it goes,” he said.