Rejuvenated Taipan’s best is still to come

30 Oct 2026

cairns taipans

Jonah Bolden grabbed 13 rebounds in 22 minutes against Brisbane and Adam Forde says Cairns still hasn’t seen the final version.

By

NBL.com.au

For all the star power and young talent at Adam Forde’s disposal, Jonah Bolden might just have the most upside of the lot.

Since returning to professional basketball in 2023, Bolden had only shown flashes of his best in the NBL. In Cairns, it’s all coming together.

The big man filled the stat sheet off the bench in Cairns’ 107-85 win over Brisbane, finishing with 7 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists and 2 blocks in 22 minutes.

The win was the Taipans’ fifth in their last six games, lifting them to 6-4 after a 1-3 start to NBL27. The Snakes forced 25 Bullets turnovers and hit 20 threes on the night.

It was Bolden’s second straight game with 13 or more rebounds, and coach Forde says Bolden himself believes he has “only scratched the surface”.

“That really excites me,” Forde said. “We don’t even have the final version of that yet.

“For a guy that averages like 22, 23 minutes a game, his rebounding is remarkable.

“He’s just been amazing. I’m just going to keep trying to put him in the spots where I think he can capitalise.”

Forde said Bolden had stayed “real even keel” amid the growing buzz around his season, and quipped that every club could do with a Jonah Bolden, “but we got him.”

Teammate Jaylon Brown said Bolden’s impact goes well beyond the box score.

“I think he’s a really big part in our team. He brings a certain type of energy and a certain level that we need,” Brown said.

“Every game that he comes out, he proves it. He’s making plays on defence and offence and he’s doing a great job of that.

“I love playing with him. He’s a great teammate and a great player.”

Back from a ruptured Achilles, Bolden is averaging 10.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks through 10 games of NBL27, and told NBL Media this week he has “fallen back in love with hoops”.

“My biggest thing is just I’m getting my hands and my reaction time back, that I didn’t feel were there the past two years,” Bolden said.

“[My] energy allocation is a hundred per cent if not more.”

The Taipans host Melbourne United on Saturday night, live on ESPN from 7:30pm AEDT.