Last Updated on October 3, 2026 by Candida Lucia
Jakob Poeltl comes from an athletic family in Vienna, Austria, where sport was part of everyday life long before he became the first Austrian to play in the NBA. Born Jakob Pöltl on October 15, 1995, the Toronto Raptors center is the son of Martina Pöltl and Rainer Ömer, two former Austrian national-team volleyball players.
Poeltl also has a younger sister named Miriam. His parents’ athletic backgrounds strongly influenced his childhood, although Jakob ultimately chose basketball instead of following them into competitive volleyball. Away from the court, the Austrian star is extremely private, but Austrian media have publicly identified a woman named Lisa as his girlfriend.
Who Is Jakob Poeltl’s Girlfriend?
Jakob Poeltl’s most recently publicly documented girlfriend is a woman named Lisa. Poeltl generally keeps his romantic life outside the spotlight, so relatively little verified information about Lisa is publicly available.
The relationship became publicly documented in late 2024. Austrian media reported that Poeltl planned to spend Christmas with his girlfriend Lisa for the first time following the early portion of the 2024-25 NBA season.
The relationship was mentioned again in May 2025 when Poeltl returned to Austria following the Raptors’ season. Austria’s ORF reported that he had spent part of his offseason with Lisa in Florida before traveling home to Vienna to spend time with friends and family.
Poeltl has not made Lisa a prominent part of his public profile, and reliable sources have not widely published information about her full name, occupation or personal background.
Because Lisa is not a public sports figure, it is more accurate to respect that privacy rather than rely on unverified social-media speculation.
Is Jakob Poeltl Married?
There is no reliable public confirmation that Jakob Poeltl is married.
The most authoritative public reporting about his romantic life has referred to Lisa as his girlfriend rather than his wife. No established NBA or Austrian news source has publicly documented a wedding involving Poeltl.
As of now, Lisa remains his most recently publicly identified partner, although Poeltl has not provided frequent public updates about his relationship.
Does Jakob Poeltl Have Children?
There is no reliable public information confirming that Jakob Poeltl has children.
His NBA biography and recent profiles do not identify him as a father, and Poeltl has not publicly announced the birth of a son or daughter.
Poeltl does spend considerable time working with children through his annual basketball camp in Austria, but those activities relate to his efforts to develop basketball in his home country rather than to children of his own.
As of now, Jakob Poeltl has no publicly confirmed children.
Who Are Jakob Poeltl’s Parents?
Jakob Poeltl’s parents are Martina Pöltl and Rainer Ömer. Both were high-level volleyball players who represented Austria internationally.
The NBA officially identifies Jakob as the son of Rainer and Martina and confirms that both parents were members of the Austrian national volleyball teams.
The sporting environment they created became one of the foundations of Jakob’s eventual professional career.
Martina Pöltl – Jakob Poeltl’s Mother
Martina Pöltl is Jakob Poeltl’s mother and a former Austrian national-team volleyball player.
She played an especially important role not only in her son’s childhood but also during the early business stages of his professional basketball career.
Austrian reporting around the 2016 NBA Draft explained that Martina helped advise Jakob from Vienna on career matters and assisted him while he evaluated potential representatives before entering the NBA.
Her guidance was particularly valuable because Poeltl was navigating an unusual path. No Austrian had previously established himself in the NBA, meaning the family had few domestic examples to follow while making decisions about American college basketball and professional representation.
Martina was present when Toronto selected her son with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Jakob embraced his mother, sister and father immediately after hearing his name announced.
Rainer Ömer – Jakob Poeltl’s Father
Rainer Ömer is Jakob Poeltl’s father and a former Austrian national-team volleyball player.
Like Martina, Rainer helped expose Jakob to elite-level sports from a very young age. Jakob has recalled spending significant amounts of time in gyms while his parents practiced volleyball.
Rather than sitting on the sidelines, the energetic youngster would run around the gym and experiment with the sporting equipment around him.
Poeltl later explained that growing up in such an active household made it seem almost inevitable that he would eventually pursue a sport seriously.
However, basketball rather than volleyball captured his attention.
Jakob Poeltl’s Parents Played Volleyball for Austria
The athletic careers of Martina Pöltl and Rainer Ömer are one of the most distinctive aspects of Jakob Poeltl’s family background.
Both represented Austria in volleyball. That meant Jakob grew up around high-level training, competition and the routines required of serious athletes.
Poeltl believes he inherited some important physical qualities from his parents. He has specifically pointed to his height and athletic ability while discussing the influence of his volleyball-playing family.
Some volleyball skills may also have transferred naturally into his basketball game. Jump timing, coordination, lateral movement and reactions around the net all have parallels with rebounding and rim protection in basketball.
Jakob occasionally played volleyball recreationally with his parents during family holidays, but he never seriously considered competing at their level in the sport.
Why Did Jakob Poeltl Choose Basketball Instead of Volleyball?
Despite having two national-team volleyball players as parents, Poeltl’s choice of basketball was surprisingly simple.
A youth basketball opportunity was available close to his family’s home in Vienna, and Jakob enjoyed it.
He started playing organized basketball as a child and eventually spent several years developing with the Vienna D.C. Timberwolves.
Basketball gradually became much more than a childhood activity. Poeltl developed into one of Austria’s most promising prospects and later spent the 2013-14 season with the Traiskirchen Lions before moving to the United States.
His parents supported the decision rather than pressuring him to continue their volleyball tradition.
Who Are Jakob Poeltl’s Siblings?
Jakob Poeltl has one publicly documented sister named Miriam.
Austrian reports published when Jakob entered the NBA identified Miriam as his younger sister. She was 17 when her 20-year-old brother was selected in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Miriam traveled with her parents to support Jakob during that career-changing moment and was also present when Toronto officially introduced him following the draft.
Miriam Poeltl – Jakob Poeltl’s Sister
Miriam is Jakob Poeltl’s younger sister. Unlike her famous brother and their national-team-athlete parents, she has maintained a private life.
Reliable public sources provide very little information about Miriam’s education, occupation or whether she pursued competitive sports herself.
What is well documented is her presence during the beginning of Jakob’s NBA career. Sportsnet reported that Miriam accompanied Martina and Rainer when the Raptors introduced their new first-round draft pick in Toronto.
Because Miriam is not a public figure, additional claims about her personal life should be treated cautiously unless directly confirmed by the family or another authoritative source.
Jakob Poeltl Grew Up in an Athletic Family
Poeltl has repeatedly described his childhood as highly active. With two elite volleyball players as parents, he was accustomed to being around gyms and organized sports from his earliest years.
He has recalled serving almost like a ball boy while his parents practiced, running around and playing while they trained.
That environment gave Poeltl an understanding of competitive sports well before basketball became his profession.
His parents also understood the importance of allowing their son to develop naturally rather than forcing him into a sport simply because of his height.
That distinction became significant as Jakob eventually grew to seven feet tall. His interest in basketball had already developed naturally, rather than emerging only because coaches saw his unusual size.
Jakob Poeltl’s Mother Helped Guide His NBA Career
Martina’s influence continued after her son’s basketball ability began attracting international attention.
Poeltl eventually received an opportunity to play college basketball at the University of Utah, moving thousands of kilometers away from his family in Vienna.
He spent two seasons with the Utah Utes and developed into one of the best centers in American college basketball.
During his sophomore season, Poeltl won Pac-12 Player of the Year and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the country’s top collegiate center.
When he decided to enter the 2016 NBA Draft, his mother remained involved in the decision-making process and helped him evaluate professional representation.
Toronto ultimately selected him ninth overall, making him the first Austrian drafted into the NBA.
Jakob Poeltl’s Sister and Parents Were With Him at the NBA Draft
The 2016 NBA Draft became one of the biggest family moments of Poeltl’s career.
When NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced Toronto’s selection, Poeltl immediately celebrated with his mother Martina, sister Miriam and father Rainer.
The family then accompanied him to Toronto, where the Raptors formally introduced the young Austrian center.
Sportsnet reported that Martina, Rainer and Miriam were all present when Jakob posed with his new Raptors jersey.
The moment completed an unusual journey for a family whose sporting background had previously centered on volleyball rather than basketball.
Jakob Poeltl’s Connection to Austria
Although Poeltl has spent much of his adult life in North America, he continues to maintain close connections with Vienna and his family in Austria.
He regularly returns home during the NBA offseason and has spoken about the special feeling he gets from being back in the city where he grew up.
Family remains part of those trips. In 2025, after spending time with girlfriend Lisa in Florida, Poeltl traveled to Vienna to visit friends and relatives before beginning his annual youth basketball camp.
He has also continued representing Austria internationally when his NBA schedule and health permit.
Jakob Poeltl’s Basketball Camp in Vienna
Poeltl has used his success to help develop the sport in Austria through a basketball camp for young players.
The camp has become one of his major offseason projects, with Poeltl personally participating in drills and interacting with young Austrian basketball players.
He has described seeing the enthusiasm of the children attending the camp as one of the highlights of returning home.
The project reflects one of Poeltl’s long-term goals: helping basketball become more visible in a country traditionally better known internationally for sports such as skiing and volleyball.
FAQ About Jakob Poeltl’s Family
Who is Jakob Poeltl’s girlfriend?
Jakob Poeltl’s most recently publicly documented girlfriend is a woman named Lisa. Austrian media reported on their relationship in 2024 and again in May 2025. Poeltl keeps additional information about their relationship private.
Is Jakob Poeltl married?
There is no reliable public confirmation that Jakob Poeltl is married.
Does Jakob Poeltl have children?
There are no publicly confirmed reports that Jakob Poeltl has children.
Who are Jakob Poeltl’s parents?
Jakob Poeltl’s parents are Martina Pöltl and Rainer Ömer.
Who is Jakob Poeltl’s mother?
Jakob Poeltl’s mother is Martina Pöltl, a former Austrian national-team volleyball player who also helped advise her son during the early stages of his professional basketball career.
Who is Jakob Poeltl’s father?
Jakob Poeltl’s father is Rainer Ömer, a former Austrian national-team volleyball player.
Were Jakob Poeltl’s parents athletes?
Yes. Both Martina Pöltl and Rainer Ömer represented Austria in volleyball.
Does Jakob Poeltl have siblings?
Yes. Jakob Poeltl has a publicly documented younger sister named Miriam.
Who is Miriam Poeltl?
Miriam is Jakob Poeltl’s younger sister. She accompanied her family to support Jakob when he entered the NBA in 2016 but otherwise maintains a private life.
Why did Jakob Poeltl choose basketball instead of volleyball?
Poeltl discovered basketball through a youth program near his home in Vienna and quickly enjoyed the sport. Although his parents were accomplished volleyball players, they supported his decision to pursue basketball.
Where is Jakob Poeltl from?
Jakob Poeltl was born and raised in Vienna, Austria.
Candida Lucia is a sports journalist and NBA writer specializing in tactical game analysis, player development, and league coverage. With an eye for on-court execution and team dynamics, she delivers detailed breakdowns of strategy, roster updates, and key performance trends. Passionate about bringing readers closer to the game, Candida offers engaging insights on every aspect of the NBA season, from regular-season battles to the Finals.
