Former Duke Basketball Center Draws First Start in NBA

Duke basketball alum Marques Bolden enjoyed a career-high 30 minutes for the Hornets.

Former Duke basketball center Marques Bolden / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

While the Charlotte Hornets (20-61) look to the future, Marques Bolden is looking to earn an extended stay in the NBA after spending his 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns in the G League. On Friday night, albeit in an essentially meaningless 131-98 late-season road loss to the mighty Boston Celtics (63-18), the 25-year-old Duke basketball product got a chance to display his development.

Not only did Bolden receive his first starting nod as an NBA player, but the 6-foot-10, 250-pound big man also doubled his previous career-high in the minutes department. Across 30 minutes on the floor, he tallied six points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, two blocks, and only one turnover while shooting 2-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 at the line.

Bolden, who signed a two-way contract with the Hornets in early March after seeing action in only two games while on a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier in the season, has now played in six of Charlotte's past seven contests. That marks the former undrafted Blue Devil's all-time most active stretch in the league.

Even so, Marques Bolden has been on the court for only 17 NBA games across his five-year pro career. It's also true that his recent uptick is primarily due to the team's nothing-to-lose standing and long list of injuries, including the back issues that have kept the franchise's other former Duke basketball center, starter-when-healthy Mark Williams, out of commission since early December.

Nevertheless, Bolden is clearly making strides in his quest to carve out an impactful role in the NBA. Indeed, they are relatively notable strides in light of the fact that, more times than not, guys his age who were out of the league for multiple seasons after barely breaking into it in the first place never return to the big stage.

Marques Bolden in his first career start tonight:

6 Points
5 Rebounds
2 Assists
1 Steal
2 Blocks pic.twitter.com/RrCY5GJBcj

— HornetsMuse (@hornetsmuse_) April 13, 2024

Meanwhile, the Hornets haven't played their third NBA Blue Devil, veteran guard Seth Curry, since he sprained his ankle on March 1.

The Hornets wrap up their season when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

As for Boston's lone Duke basketball talent, five-time All-Star Jayson Tatum sat out the contest against the Hornets due to his right knee contusion. He and the Celtics, who wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference weeks ago, are gearing up for postseason action following their regular-season finale at home against the Washington Wizards at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.