Joe Alexander: Injuries, Career & Leagues

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Joe Alexander is not a strange name for those who watch basketball. However, he might not be familiar to basketball fans who do not care much about the leagues besides the NBA.

He is an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He last appeared for the Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli Basketball Premier League in 2021.

Born in Taiwan, Joe began his professional career in the NBA after the Milwaukee Bucks picked him in the 2008 draft.

Unfortunately, he could not play strongly to secure his place in the league after around two seasons. Consequently, he had to travel overseas to continue his professional career.

Joe Alexander with the Chicago Bulls (Source: Bleacher Report)
Joe Alexander with the Chicago Bulls (Source: Bleacher Report)

Hailing from a family with many basketball enthusiasts, he dreamed of playing in the NBA since childhood. He had moved to the USA from China for better preparation after seeing his elder brothers fail to make it to the professional leagues.

Yet, he shared pretty much the same fate as he could not hold on much in the NBA and had to settle elsewhere to achieve international fame.

However, he became one of the most successful athletes in the Israeli Basketball League.

The West Virginia alum is the three times Israeli Cup champion, which is a rare feat.

This article will explore almost everything concerning this Mountaineer’s life. But before moving into the details, here are some quick facts about Joe Alexander.

Quick Facts

Full Name Joe Alexander
Date of Birth December 26, 1986
Birth Place Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Nick Name Not available
Religion Judaism
Nationality American-Israeli
Zodiac Sign  Pisces
Age 37 years old
Height 2.03 m (6 feet 8 inches)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Hair Color Brown
Eye Color Brown
Build Athletic
Father’s Name Steve Alexander
Mother’s Name Allyson Alexander
Siblings John Alexander, Jeremy Alexander
Food Habit Non-vegetarian
Education
  • Hong Kong International School (Tai Tam, Hong Kong)
  • International School of Beijing (China)
  • Linganore High School (Frederick County, Maryland)
  • West Virginia University (Morgantown, West Virginia) 
Marital Status Unmarried
Sexual Orientation Straight
Girlfriend None
Kids None
Profession Basketball Player
NBA Draft 2008 / Round 1 / 8th pick overall
Position Power forward
League  Israeli Basketball Premier League
Active Years (2008 – Present)
Net Worth $1-$5 million
Currently Plays For Maccabi Rishon LeZion
Jersey Number 23
Social Media  Instagram, Youtube
Merch NBA Card
Last Update March 2024

Early Life, Family & Education

Joe Alexander was born on December 26, 1986, to his parents, Steve and Allyson Alexander in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. His father, Steve, worked for Nestle, so their family constantly traveled from place to place.

When Alexander was eight years old, his father got an assignment in Hong Kong, so their whole family migrated.

He briefly attended the Hong Kong International School in Tai Tam during their six months stay there. However, they soon migrated to mainland China where he joined the International School of Beijing (ISB).

He began playing basketball when he was at the ISB. Both his elder brothers, John and Jeremy, were good at the sport and were among the best players in Beijing High School.

However, they failed to make it to the NCAA higher division league when they moved back to the US.

Thinking that he would also fail to compete with American athletes like his brothers, he decided to go and prepare himself in an American school.

Alexander lived with his dad and stepmother in Beijing until 2002. He became fluent in Mandarin as he lived most of his childhood in China.

His mother, Allyson, lived in Mount Airy, Maryland, so he started living with her and attended the Linganore High School nearby their residence.

Joe Alexander | Career

High School Career

Joe thought it was right when he presumed that he might have been far behind American youngsters, which might put him in trouble to get in the NCAA tournament in the future.

When he joined the Linganore School, many teenagers were better than him in every aspect of the game. So, he set to work upon his skills and catch up with his teammates.

The team allowed him to showcase his talent to full might in his senior season, and he delivered well. As a senior, Joe averaged 14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Consequently, he bagged several honors that year, including Mt. Airy Gazette Player of the Year and the Washington Post’s All-Met team selection.

He later joined the Hargrave Military Academy for a year before playing college basketball.

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College Career

Alexander joined West Virginia University in 2005 for his college studies. He played only ten matches in his first season, in which he averaged 1.3 points per game.

The Mountaineers’ team management entrusted him with more playtime, and he played 36 matches, starting all of them. Unfortunately, even though he was having a great time in the initial matches, Joe choked in the last matches.

Alexander in the Mountaineers jersey (Source: Times West Virginian)
Alexander in the Mountaineers’ jersey (Source: Times West Virginian)

However, he led his team to the 2007 NIT victory. He finished the season with an average of 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

In his junior season, he was named the First-team All-Big East after averaging 16.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Moreover, he finished the NCAA tournament with 18.0 points per game.

Professional Career

The Mountaineers’ power forward decided to enter the NBA draft forgoing his senior year at West Virginia University in 2008.

Considered one of the best prospects from his region, Joe was picked by the Milwaukee Bucks as the draft’s first-round 8th pick.

He started playing well for the Bucks in the 2008 NBA Summer League, in which he averaged 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

However, his NBA regular season started with him being mostly benched, and his performance in a few matches he played did not go well.

Although he stayed with them in the next season, he did not show up in any regular NBA matches. On top of that, he had a hamstring injury. He was sent to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League after his recovery.

He had posted good scores in the D-League and was hoping for a contract extension with the Bucks, but to his dismay, the club traded him to the Chicago Bulls for the next season.

After playing just 8 matches for the Bulls, Joe was relegated to the NBA D-League again. However, his time in the minor league was marred with frequent injuries, so he could not do well like in previous times.

Foreign Leagues

Eventually, Alexander opted for a career in the Israeli Basketball Premier League rather than American minor leagues and hence signed with the Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2014.

Furthermore, he appeared for three seasons in the Israeli league before setting off abroad to try out his luck with other leagues’ clubs. He won the Israeli State Cup two times with the Maccabi.

Joe with the Israeli club Hapoel Holon (Source: basket.co.il)
Joe with the Israeli club, Hapoel Holon (Source: basket.co.il)

In the meantime, he appeared for various other international clubs in other countries like Turkey, South Korea, France, etc.

Alexander last played for another Israeli club, Maccabi Rishon LeZion, in November 2021.

Awards & Achievements

Some of his awards and achievements include:

  • Israeli State Cup winner (2015, 2017, 2018)
  • First-team All-Big East (2007)
  • All-Israeli League First Team (2018)
  • AP Honorable Mention All-American (2007) 

Joe Alexander | Exterior Features

As of 2024,  Joe Alexander is 37 years old.

Moving on to his physical feature, he has an athletic body type and has maintained his body well by regularly going to the gym for workouts. 

Joe Alexander (Source: Proballers)
Joe Alexander (Source: Proballers)

He was lean even as a young player, but he had once gained 20 pounds in a single season during his college days. However, he now weighs around 220 lb (100 kg).

Moreover, the professional basketball player currently stands 2.03 meters (6 feet 8 inches) tall and has brown hair and eyes. Joe usually keeps shortly trimmed beard to compliment his looks.

Moreover, he has an attractive large tattoo on his right arm.

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Net Worth & Earnings

Even though many websites on the Internet have mentioned his net worth to be from $1 to $5 million, the exact number remains unknown.

However, his main source of earning is the league games.

When the Milwaukee Bucks picked him in the 2008 draft, he was one of the top picks. So, the club offered him a whopping amount of $2.4 million for his rookie season.

However, his NBA career was cut short, so he could not earn as much he had wanted. Nevertheless, he earned around $5 million from his entire NBA career, playing roughly two seasons.

Then, he went on to play in the minor leagues, notably NBA D-League, in which he earned around $19k annually. Luckily, he got a deal from the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in late 2014, which guaranteed him a salary of around $16k per month.

Following that contract, he has mostly played for the foreign league clubs whose exact earnings have not been revealed yet.

Joe Alexander | Injuries

Injuries are usually an integral part of their sports journey for any professional player, and Joe is no exception. However, it won’t be wrong if we say frequent injuries ruined his career.

He had his first injury when he was with the Bucks early in his career. After that, the club did not give him any chance to bounce back. 

Even though he later recovered from an injury, he did not fit in with them and had to settle for the minor leagues.

The New York Daily News even went as far to call him one of the “Biggest Draft Busts” following his exit from the NBA.

Joe later suffered from various other injuries, mainly leg injuries which often forced him to leave the court and miss many important matches. As a result, he had undergone several treatments for his recovery.

He had surgery after suffering a stress fracture in his left tibia in 2012.

Joe Alexander | Personal Life

Joe is a handsome man with an alluring personality and good looks. So, we set out to surf the Internet to find out about his relationship with this sweetheart.

Quite surprisingly, we discovered that his name had not been associated with any woman yet. Moreover, he has posted many single pictures on his social media handles, but there is nothing that hints at his love life.

So, Joe is probably single and looks happy even without relationships and romance. 

Social Media Presence

Instagram: @joealexander

Youtube: Joe Alexander

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to Joe Alexander?

Joe Alexander is currently associated with the Israeli club, Maccabi Rishon LeZion. But, he has not appeared in any game for them since November 2021.

But he regularly posts videos related to basketball on his Youtube channel.

What is Joe Alexander’s wingspan?

Joe Alexander has a wingspan of approximately 6 feet 11 inches.

Yaman Bhattarai
Yaman Bhattaraihttps://playersbio.com/

Yaman Bhattarai

Yaman Bhattarai is a dedicated writer with a keen interest in exploring the multifaceted world of sports. His articles offer readers a dynamic blend of insightful analysis, captivating storytelling, and cultural commentary that enriches their understanding of the athletes, events, and trends that shape the sporting landscape.

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With a background in writing and a passion for sports as a cultural phenomenon, Yaman approaches each article with a blend of curiosity, rigor, and creativity. He seeks to inspire, educate, and entertain readers through his exploration of the timeless themes and enduring legacies that define the world of sports.

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