Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu discovered himself in surprising firm Monday — with former President Barack Obama.
Dosunmu joined Obama, Bulls artistic technique and design adviser Don C. and two Chicago-area college students on a panel at an Obama Basis occasion for native excessive schoolers. The dialogue centered on the significance of using group assets and organizations.
Dosunmu didn’t know Obama could be in attendance till every week earlier than the occasion and even then wasn’t anticipating the prolonged time spent aspect by aspect with the previous president. Though Dosunmu contained his nerves, he mentioned the “once-in-a-lifetime” assembly left an impression on him in addition to on the 60 highschool college students in attendance.
“It actually didn’t really feel actual till I really noticed him there,” Dosunmu mentioned.
Dosunmu is well-known within the Bulls locker room for his inquisitiveness, continually looking for recommendation from veteran gamers. He employed the identical nature with Obama, who took time to talk individually with Dosunmu.
“He informed me to at all times get higher,” Dosunmu mentioned. “Something you do — there’s going to be arduous instances, there’s going to be good instances. Simply hold it going, by no means cease.”
Dosunmu’s participation within the daylong occasion — which included artwork remedy and yoga periods along with the panel dialogue — mirrored his growing dedication to group activism and repair as he rises in stature within the NBA. He was slated to start out at level guard Wednesday within the season opener towards the Warmth in Miami.
A Chicago native, Dosunmu acknowledges the accountability and alternative his place on the Bulls roster supplies. The second-year guard mentioned he hopes to proceed fostering a relationship together with his group.
“I’m attempting to get higher at that, not simply being a job mannequin on the court docket however being a job mannequin off the court docket,” Dosunmu mentioned. “These occasions like that, it goes an extended well past simply being a basketball participant. I put a number of work into that. … I wish to be an enormous think about that and in Chicago.”
Dosunmu’s dedication to the group is intrinsic to his historical past in Chicago. This summer season, he hosted a block occasion group occasion to honor Darius Brown, his greatest good friend who was killed in a 2011 taking pictures on their neighborhood basketball court docket in Bronzeville.
Dosunmu has devoted many moments of his profession to Brown, together with getting a tattoo in his good friend’s honor over the summer season. Brown’s reminiscence additionally drives Dosunmu off the court docket, the place he hopes to change into a extra vocal activist towards gun violence in Chicago.
Dosunmu additionally spoke at a peace stroll alongside Mayor Lori Lightfoot in July organized by St. Sabina Church. As he spends extra time within the firm of main Chicago leaders, Dosunmu feels his voice and confidence persevering with to develop.
“I need folks to have the ability to look as much as (me), to see that the issues I do for the group are real, the issues I do for town are real,” Dosunmu mentioned. “Hopefully it spreads after which different folks will do the identical.”
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