NEWSLETTER
Ayo Dosunmu is a team owner!
No, he didn’t buy his hometown Chicago Bulls (*sigh*), but he did officially announce his own AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Team on Tuesday evening. The 24-year-old guard will manage the Ayo Dos Elite, which will include athletes that range from 12-14 years old.
“Many of you know that AAU played a pivotal part in my basketball career, so now that I’m able, I’m ready to give back with a team of my own … Ayo Dos Elite is more than just a basketball team,” Dosunmu said in a video he shared via his social media. “We’re a community of athletes dedicated to mentorship, exposure, and athletic growth. When you join Ayo Dos Elite, it means gaining access to top-tier coaching, exposure to college recruiters, and a supportive team environment where you can grow both on and off the court.”
As far as I know, it’s pretty darn rare that we see an athlete as young as Dosunmu start up his own AAU squad. While I’m sure his day-to-day role will be somewhat limited by his NBA duties, I have to imagine this will be quite the opportunity for young Chicagoland athletes. The resources and guidance a current NBA player can provide can’t be overlooked.
The announcement is also just the latest in Ayo Dosunmu’s projects off the floor. We’ve seen the Chicago native put together countless community events in recent years, including establishing Ayo’s Scholars at his old middle school. In fact, Dosunmu has been so active in his charity efforts that the NBA honored the guard with the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for the 2023 offseason.
It’s hard to believe just how much the former second-round pick has done in his three years in the NBA. Not to mention, he’s been able to do all of this while improving his on-court play. Ayo Dosunmu is playing the best basketball of his career this season, most recently scoring double digits in 14 of the last 15 games. He’s now averaging 15.2 points with 3.3 assists since Jan. 13, shooting 58.0 percent from the field and 35-66 from downtown.
The Ayo Dos Foundation lists upcoming tryouts for 13 and 14-year-olds on Feb. 24. Prior tryouts were held for 12-year-olds on Jan. 3. You can learn more about that here.
