Ayo Dosunmu facts for kids
Dosunmu with the Chicago Bulls in 2022
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| No. 11 – Chicago Bulls | ||||||||||||||
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| Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | January 17, 2000 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| High school | Morgan Park (Chicago, Illinois) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Illinois (2018–2021) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2021 / Round: 2 / Pick: 38th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2021–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–present | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Quamdeen Ayopo Dosunmu (born January 17, 2000) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball at Illinois. During his junior year there, he was named a top college player, known as a consensus first-team All-American.
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Early Life and High School Success
Ayo Dosunmu was born in Chicago. His father is from Nigeria, and his mother is African-American. His name, Ayo, means "joy" in the Yoruba language of Nigeria.
Ayo started his high school basketball journey at Westinghouse College Prep. As a freshman, he helped his team win a conference championship. He even scored an amazing 40 points in one game! After his first year, he moved to Morgan Park.
At Morgan Park, Ayo led his team to two state championships. In his junior year, they won the 3A State Championship. In his senior year, he scored 28 points in the championship game, setting a new record for points in an IHSA championship! During this time, he averaged 25.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game.
Because of his amazing skills, Ayo was chosen to play in special high school games. These included the Jordan Brand Classic and the Iverson Roundball Classic. He was also named a top All-State player by many sports groups.
On October 19, 2017, Ayo decided to play college basketball for Illinois. He chose Illinois over other big schools like Wake Forest.
College Career at Illinois
Ayo Dosunmu became a key player for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Freshman Year (2018–19)
Ayo played his first college game on November 8, 2018. He scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds, and made four assists. After his first season, he was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. He averaged 13.8 points and 3.3 assists per game.
Sophomore Year (2019–20)
In his second year, Ayo continued to shine. He hit a game-winning shot against Michigan on January 25, 2020, scoring 27 points in that game. Even after an injury, he came back strong, scoring 24 points against Penn State. He was named to the First Team All-Big Ten by the media. After this season, he thought about joining the NBA draft but decided to return to Illinois for another year.
Junior Year (2020–21)
Ayo's junior year was incredible. He started with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in his first game. He scored a career-high 36 points against Missouri. He also achieved a "triple-double" twice, meaning he had double-digit numbers in points, rebounds, and assists in a single game. This is a rare achievement in basketball!
He helped Illinois win the Big Ten Men's Basketball Championship game. He was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Ayo was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American and won the Bob Cousy Award, given to the best point guard in the nation. After this successful season, he decided to enter the 2021 NBA draft.
Honored Jersey
On January 6, 2022, Illinois honored Ayo's number 11 jersey. This means his jersey number is retired and celebrated by the team, showing how important he was to their program.
Professional Career with the Chicago Bulls
Ayo Dosunmu was picked by his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft. He was the 38th player chosen overall.
He officially joined the Bulls on August 18, 2021. By December 8, 2021, he was already starting games for the team. He scored 11 points, had six rebounds, and eight assists in a win against the Denver Nuggets. On January 25, 2022, he set a Bulls rookie record by making nine shots in a row to start a game.
On December 21, 2022, Ayo made a game-winning shot right at the buzzer against the Atlanta Hawks! He re-signed with the Bulls on July 23, 2023.
He continued to improve, scoring a career-high 29 points against the Atlanta Hawks on February 12, 2024. Then, on March 16, he scored an even higher career-best of 34 points in a win over the Washington Wizards.
On December 5, 2024, Ayo achieved his first career triple-double in the NBA. He scored 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and made 11 assists in a win against the San Antonio Spurs.
National Team Career
Ayo Dosunmu has also played for the United States national basketball team. In May 2018, he was invited to train with the USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team. He helped the U18 team win a gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship. During this competition, he averaged 9.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game.
See also
In Spanish: Ayo Dosunmu para niños
