[citation needed] Joonas Iisalo's father worked as a foreign correspondent in East Berlin in the 1980s.

Their sister Meri Valkama became a journalist who won the 2021 prize for best debut novel in Finland with her book "Sinun, Margot" where she describes the story of the Iisalo family.

For the 2022–23 season, he switched teams to become head coach of the Bundesliga competitor MLP Academics Heidelberg.

On 27 September 2023, he extended his contract with Heidelberg, signing a deal until the end of 2025–26 season.

[2] According to reports, the Iisalo style has been based on pace, many three-point shots and strong offensive rebounding.