ASVEL isn't slowing down. The French club made official on Tuesday the signing of Joel Bolomboy for the next two seasons, a move through which Tony Parker completes the frontcourt of a roster that has undergone a complete overhaul this summer.
The 6'8" center, 32 years old, arrives from Red Star Belgrade, where he has spent the last three seasons, and lands in Villeurbanne just a day after the arrival of Patty Mills. Two veterans, two locker room profiles, the same underlying idea.
A top-tier European resume
Bolomboy is no stranger to continental basketball fans. He won the EuroLeague in his first season in the competition, with CSKA Moscow in 2019, and remained there for four seasons before stints at Olympiacos and landing in Belgrade. He has appeared in three Final Fours across his eight European seasons.
His specialty is the work that doesn't show up in highlight reels: offensive rebounding and rim protection. He enters the season ranked 26th in EuroLeague history in offensive rebounds with 353, and 60th in total rebounds with 870.
The concern: two lost years
The only question mark is physical, and it's significant. His best version came in the 2023-24 season, when he averaged 10.2 points, 6 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks in 33 games with Red Star Belgrade. Since then, injuries have taken their toll.
A Lisfranc fracture suffered in March 2025 kept him off the court for ten months, and upon his return he was barely able to play fifteen games last season, with 5.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in fourteen minutes. ASVEL is betting that the foot is no longer an issue.
An uncommon story
Born in Ukraine, son of a Russian mother and Congolese father, Bolomboy grew up in the United States and was developed at Weber State University, where he was a two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and conference Player of the Year in 2016. He made his professional debut in the NBA with the Utah Jazz and also had a brief stint with Milwaukee before crossing the Atlantic.
He holds American, Ukrainian and Russian citizenship, and has been an international player for Russia. His trophy case includes national leagues and cups in Greece and Serbia, as well as VTB and Adriatic League titles.