When Ayo Dosunmu fell into the Bulls’ lap on draft night, it truly felt like destiny for the Morgan Park alum.
Relive the moment below:
From the days of watching Derrick Rose take the floor, we all know how special it can be to watch a hometown kid rise up the league ranks, particularly in Chicago. While Dosunmu will never match the peak of Rose’s powers, the roar of the United Center crowd this season told us how much his place on this roster means to the community. I can’t wait to watch him on the court again in a couple of months.
Dosunmu held an event at Bronzeville’s Metcalfe Park earlier this week. In a video released by Bulls Community, Dosunmu describes the celebration he put together for his late friend Darius Drown, as well as the impact he hopes his spot in the NBA can have on the many kids in attendance.
This line from the All-Rookie Second Team member is what it’s all about:
“I always want to be here for the kids. I’m never too big or anything for that. I want them to see what it takes and what hard work can get you,” Dosunmu said. “They can be anything they want to be. I just want them to see me here and see how far I’ve came, where I started from. I want them to go home tonight and say “I can do the same thing.”
I’m crossing every limb on my body that the Bulls will prioritize keeping Dosunmu past this season (reminder: he will hit restricted free agency after this year). Not only am I high on the player he can become after this outstanding rookie campaign, but he’s such a great role model to have in this organization.
According to Shaquille O’Neal, one of the Chicago Bulls’ newest roster members ensured the big man felt at home overseas. Goran Dragic joined O’Neal on stage during his show in Croatia, and O’Neal gave both him and Luka Doncic a shoutout for showing him a good time.
I know this might be on a much smaller level than what we see with players like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Lonzo Ball, but this is another good reminder of how fun it is to have big-name talent in Chicago. Dragic has never reached superstar status, but he’s been a well-known and well-respected figure in league circles for the past decade. Knowing guys like him now fill this Bulls’ locker room remains such a refreshing fact. No offense to the Jerian Grants and Paul Zipsers of the world … but this team has come a long way!
Speaking of new faces … hello Andre Drummond!
Once again, I have many questions about whether or not Andre Drummond can provide the defense this team needs at the backup center position. But there is also no denying he’s a strong improvement over Tristan Thompson (who isn’t even on a team at this point in time). His rebounding prowess alone should make an immediate difference for this Bulls team, as should his ability to slide into the starting spot for a game or two if Nikola Vucevic requires some rest. At the end of the day, he truly does have the potential to be one of the league’s better backup centers, and I look forward to seeing whether or not he can reach that potential this season. As “meh” as his signing may feel now, it could feel a lot more “yay” come February.
I came across this Alex Caruso poster again and had to share it:
Plenty more Caruso content below:
Don’t get me wrong, I’m very excited to see what Dalen Terry can do, but I have to wonder if Tari Eason sat above him on the Bulls’ big board. The wing out of LSU went one spot before Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were set to pick, and he felt like another multi-positional defender with a high offensive upside who could have made plenty of sense in Chicago. I’ll be tracking his development closely.
I’m always here for an alternate look (except those powder blue Bulls city edition jerseys … I wasn’t a big fan)!
Are they good? Please just tell me they’re good.
NEWSLETTER
