Robert Bolick’s Japan B.League season just took a sudden twist.
The prolific guard was waived by the Fukushima Firebonds on Thursday, marking the end of his time with the Japanese club after just one official game.
“We would like to announce the termination of the contract with Robert Bolick,” said team president Hajime Nishida in an announcement posted on the Firebonds’ official Instagram page. “Bolick was the first player announced as the first contract in this season's lineup, and the club had high expectations for him. I think it was the same for all the boosters.”
Bolick, it appears, had a sudden change of heart, as per Nishida’s statement.
“However, Bolick recently expressed his intention to leave the club, and the club held many discussions, but Bolick was firm in his intentions, and in the end we decided to respect his wishes,” he added. “I would like to add that the content of the contract was not such that it would be easy to terminate the contract or transfer midway through the season.”
Fukushima had every right to have high hopes for Bolick after he dropped 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists in his sole game for the Firebonds versus the Passlab Yamagata Wyverns on October 7—albeit in a 95-90 loss.
As of writing, Bolick has not released his own statement as to his unceremonious exit from Fukushima. But based on the team’s statement, transferring to another B.League team will not be that easy for the former PBA stalwart.
That means Bolick’s career—at least for now—is in limbo.