Justin Bolis has faced a lot of twists and turns along his journey to Omaha men’s basketball, but he’s stuck with it for one simple reason.
What he wants most from basketball? To make sure his mother, Betty Lado, is taken care of.
“Every day I wake up, I’m trying to retire her and make her happy,” Bolis told Hurrdat Sports.
Lado worked two jobs most of the time while raising Bolis in Lincoln. She didn’t want him to worry. Her goal, to make her son feel comfortable.
“She’s worked multiple jobs a lot of times, or she’d come home from work and go out and deliver food or whatever,” he said. “A lot of simple stuff, just to make ends meet, to make life feel like we’re not struggling at all, which was awesome.”
Bolis is using basketball for different reasons. He wants to earn a degree of course, and use the game to show his mother what she taught him.
“I’m always gonna work hard,” Bolis said. “I’ve seen how hard she worked just to give me a good life. I know I’ve still got work to do; I can already give back and take care of myself now, so I feel really good about that.”
Basketball Struggles
It hasn’t been the most straightforward path to basketball success for Bolis.
He missed his entire junior season of high school with a torn Achilles tendon. After a year off from basketball, he averaged 8.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in his senior season at Lincoln High, helping lead the Links to 17 wins and coming up just short of a state tournament berth with an overtime loss to Omaha Westside in a district final.
After high school, Bolis spent one season at Southeast Community College, where he started all 31 games for the Bobcats. In that one season, he averaged 15.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 52.2% from the field and 37.5% from 3 on limited attempts.
“That was tough,” Bolis said of junior college life. “That year at JUCO just helped me learn that nothing’s guaranteed. At any point, you don’t know when your career could end or when you’ve reached your limit. So just don’t take any days for granted. Keep trying to strive, strive as high as you can and reach your goals.”
With opportunities to play Division II basketball and a few sniffs from Division I schools. Bolis decided to take his chances as a preferred walk-on at the highest level with Nebraska.
Learning At Nebraska
Bolis spent two seasons at Nebraska; his first season (2024-25) was a redshirt season. Last year, he appeared in 17 games, playing just 26 minutes.
Despite the lack of playing time, Bolis used his two seasons in Lincoln to learn.
Justin Bolis runs across the court for a pass during Nebraska basketball practice on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. Photo by John S. Peterson.
“I’ve learned a ton about basketball concepts, just things to work on,” he said. “Really just my basketball knowledge. Coach [Fred] Hoiberg runs a really high-level offense, and Coach Nate (Loenser) runs a really high-level defense.
“If you can’t think, you can’t play. I’ve definitely learned a lot, and it’s made it easier for me to understand everything. Even now, when I watch NBA games or see NBA-level concepts, I understand them.”
What Bolis learned at Nebraska has only helped him in his transition to Omaha.
“I don’t have to think so hard about certain stuff or just trying to understand things, and I can focus a lot more on my game and my abilities so that I can get back to where I was confidence-wise,” Bolis said.
The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward has confidence in his game; the transition to Omaha has been as seamless as possible. Yes, there have been adjustments. The Mavericks do have team meals, but not a full training table. There isn’t a full practice facility, though one is on its way.
“It’s actually not that big of a difference,” he said. “You still get team meals, you still get weight training and stuff. It’s just a tick, maybe a notch different.”
Bolis, who came from humble beginnings with the game, isn’t focused on the shiny object. He wants to get his confidence back as a player, show what he is capable of on the court and help the Mavericks win.
“I’m really excited. I’ve been itching to get out on the floor,” Bollis said. “I can finally see a little bit of all the work that I was doing starting to show with confidence. I can’t wait to go out and prove what I can do.”
