The fiery and keen Joel Freeland is a former British proficient basketball player who last played for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League.
The British big man initiated his career as a youth player with the youth teams, and, ironically, he was a member of the England Under-18 national team in the meantime.
Freeland then shortly locate himself in Spain at the fourth tier level in the Spanish league with Gran Canaria II.
Later he came off spending the season playing in the NBA with Portland Trail Blazers after being selected in the 30th overall pick, which was deemed the highest rank for a British-born player in the history of the draft.
At 6-11, he was a pretty exquisite player who retained the combination of European skills and American athleticism and had exhibited incredible advancement during his playing chore.
Regardless of his aviation to NBA, he strived to keep up longer in the league. Instead, he had adequate assignments with International teams, Spain and Russia.
In the meantime, he earned the EuroLeague champion in 2016 and won the title two times for VTB United League Championship in 2016 and 2017.
Discover further intriguing information about the former prominent forward / center, Joel Freeland, below.
Also, have a timely look at the informative, quick facts about the player beneath.
Quick Facts
Full Name | Joel Daniel Freeland |
Birth Date | February 7, 1987 |
Birth Place | Aldershot, Hampshire, England |
Nick Name | Unknown |
Religion | Christianity |
Nationality | British |
Ethnicity | Unknown |
Education | Farnborough College of Technology |
Horoscope | Aquarius |
Father’s Name | Unknown |
Mother’s Name | Unknown |
Siblings | Unavailable |
Age | 37 |
Height | 6 feet 11 inches |
Weight | 112 Kilogram (248 lb) |
Jersey no. | 19 – Portland Trail Blazers |
Hair Color | Dark Brown |
Eye Color | Gray |
Body Type | Athletic |
Profession | Former NBA player |
NBA Draft | 2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30th overall |
League | NBA & International |
Active Years | 2005 – 2017 |
Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Marital Status | Not available |
Girlfriend | Not available |
Kids | None |
Net Worth | $1- $5 million |
Position | Power forward / Center |
Last Played NBA Team | Portland Trail Blazers |
Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
Merch | NBA Men’s Arched Plexi Short Sleeve Tee Shirt |
Last Update | October, 2024 |
Joel Freeland | Early Life & Career
Freeland was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, on February 7, 1987.
The player’s full name is Joel Daniel Freeland, but he’s generally admired as Joel Freeland.
Thus, the information that discloses the details about the player’s family and their background origination is inaccessible. Freeland has talked so less about his family and their lifestyle.
But the player’s father was his number-one fan, and he was just ecstatic to know about his son signing into the NBA. His father has been with him throughout his journey and supported his dream wholly.
Coming from a small town and having the opportunities to reach the NBA, the player considered himself a blessed self.
He began playing basketball with lots of his friends from his vicinity, but most of his friends got involved in drugs and alcohol and other stuff like that when they were 16 or 17.
But Freeland wasn’t one of them. He knew what he wished for in life and perpetually looked in on the park and used to play basketball by himself.
When he was 19 years old kid who had only played basketball for two years, he got drafted into the NBA in the first round. That was an absurd yet a proudest thing for him and his state.
Thus, Freeland made a wise move toward his passion and turned a blind eye to evil deeds. He looked the other way and worked for the dream that gave him the utmost satisfaction.
Joel Freeland | Basketball Career
Professional Career
Freeland was drafted with the 30th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by Portland Trail Blazers.
He subsequently didn’t join the Blazers as the team encouraged him to stay in Europe to learn his trade.
Then, in August 2006, he signed with Gran Canaria of the top-tier Spanish level Liga ACB.
During his stint with Gran Canaria, he made his appearance in 16 games and debuted in the European-wide 2nd-tier level ULEB Cup, presently named EuroCup.
In the 2008-09 season, Freeland was deemed one of the team’s best players, where he’d averaged 9.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in the Liga ACB.
Freeland later signed with Unicaja Málaga, a Spanish EuroLeague club, in July 2009.
The player had his best 2010-11 season, where he averaged career-high 13.2 points and added 6.2 rebounds per game in the Liga ACB. And he logged 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague.
NBA Team
In July 2012, Freeland signed a three-year contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.
In December 2012, he was assigned Utah Jazz affiliated team, Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League. However, he was recalled by Blazers after two days.
Freeland logged 17 rebounds over the Philadelphia 76ers and 16 points over Oklahoma Cime.
Then, he signed a two-year deal with the Russian team CSKA Moscow in July 2013.
He spent two seasons with the team and assisted to won the EuroLeague in 2016 and earning a two-time VTB United League Championship in 2016 and 2017.
International Career
Freeland represented his nation as he was a member of Great Britain’s national team. He played representing his team at EuroBasket 2009 and the EuroBasket 2011.
Additionally, he partook in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Grants & Honors
- EuroLeague champion (2016)
- VTB United League champion (2016, 2017)
Injury
While Freeland was with Portland Trail Blazers, he encountered the worst shoulder injury while playing against the Atlanta Hawks.
The player didn’t undergo a tear or any structural harm when he injured his right shoulder blocking a Paul Millsap dunk attempt.
But he strained his shoulder enough to get sidelined for two weeks before the team reconsidered his return.
Then, in 2015, during his stint with CSKA Moscow, he had an awful meet-up with an injury.
During the warm-up for a preseason game over Galatasaray, he underwent a left calf injury which sidelined him from playing at the start of the respective season.
Net Worth & Salary
The former athletic player Joel Freeland had a $1-$5 million net worth.
Addressing his past salary, in the 2014-15 season, with Portland Trail Blazers, it was $3,100,000, and in the 2013-14 season, he accumulated $3,000,000.
Thus, his initial estimated income with his first played NBA team was $2,900,000 in the 2012-13 season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Body Features
Joel Freeland was born on February 7, 1987, and scrutinizing his birth date, he is 37 years old.
About his physical stats, he stands at the soaring height of 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m), and his listed bodyweight is 248 lb (122 kg).
Freeland was an athletic big man, incredibly speedy, and highly coordinated. He enjoyed an excellent 6’10” wingspan showing a solid mastery and athleticism in terms of speed and leaping ability on the floor.
He retains a healthy physique and athletic frame, which encouraged him to neutralize his game.
Additionally, he was thoughtful and decisive, developed percentages of hustle, and took pride in his play.
Who is Joel Freeland’s Girlfriend?
Freeland’s relationship status is unknown at the time as he has not publicized anything about the subjective topic to the folk.
On the flip side, he is solely a decent mysterious player; he might be delighted being alone or loves to keep secrecy.
Therefore, time will unravel his information; consequently, his enthusiasts need little calmness and patience with their curiosity.
Social Media Presence
A graceful and generous player, Freeland has verified Instagram and Twitter accounts.
However, he’s not quite active on Instagram; his uploads are somewhat outdated.
But he looks the hottest with an athletic build body and tremendous height in his earlier Instagram pictures.
Also, the other notable thing, he is a food zealot and has a picture of some great food items in his post.
Freeland is relatively active on Twitter, often detected with retweets, and the visible thing is two luxurious cars as his cover photo.
Therefore, find him on his social media sites to know the player in a better possible way.
In Rain & Shine
Originating from a small town in England, getting drafted into the NBA was precisely the happiest moment of his life. Hearing the name declared in front of the parents and coach added even more joyous.
After playing with the Portland Trail Blazers, he moved overseas. He had a great season over there as he assisted the team in winning the titles.
Sadly, he couldn’t represent himself in the NBA solely after playing three seasons from 2012 to 2015 with Portland Trail Blazers.
Even though it was pretty clear that Freeland was not watchful to contribute in the NBA, he was drafted early; he wasn’t that experienced for the bigger games and still needed room for growth.
Besides the promising factors, he was detected with some drawbacks: shooting ability, ball-handling skills, power, and less skillset.
Further, those obstacles might justify why Freeland had to take off around the sphere to find the perfect long-term spot.
Apart from Blazers, he didn’t get an opportunity to locate himself in any other NBA team in his 12 years of playing career. But he did outshine in Europe and Russia.
But his devotion and never giving up attitude was the story of his perseverance.
The continual traits that kept him getting on in his pursuit were his devotion and persistence, and that’s undeniable.
Therefore, he indeed gave rise to his professional career through his hard work and commitment, which allowed him to earn appreciation for his name and reputation.
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FAQs
When did Joel Freeland take retirement?
After playing a two-year stint with CSKA, he’d his contract expiration with the team. Then, he shortly left the team at the end of the 2016-17 season and didn’t sign with any other club aftermath.
Does Joel Freeland have tattoos?
Freeland has a tattoo of tribal basketball on his right arm.