Ayo Dosunmu era has started for the Chicago Bulls

The Ayo Dosunmu era for the Chicago Bulls has officially started as the former Illinois basketball superstar played in his first preseason game.

After not being picked in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft, Ayo ended up dropping into the second round and was picked by the Bulls. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and Chicago clearly struck gold with their find of Ayo.

The Bulls would take control of the game early on, leading 95-54 over Central Division foes, the Cleveland Cavaliers. With 4:50 left in the third quarter, Ayo’s name was called to check into the game. The hometown Chicago fans went wild. This was one of the biggest fan reactions I have heard in a preseason game in quite some time.

Ayo Dosunmu filled up the stat sheet for the Bulls.

Everything Ayo has been through the past 21 years has led to this moment. The hard work he put in at Morgan Park and with the Mac Irvin Fire. The blood, sweat, and tears that he shed with the Illini. A 12-win campaign as a freshman. Finally getting Illinois back to the NCAA tournament as a sophomore, only to get it canceled by a once-in-a-century pandemic.

Tuesday night was a culmination of Ayo’s hard work and dedication to the game. And bonus, he was sensational in the 13:09 he saw for the Bulls.

Ayo finished the night with 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, and 1 block. He would go an efficient 4-of-9 from the field as well. He did all of that in essentially 13 minutes of action. Just imagine what he can do in a full game.

But, honestly, the numbers really don’t matter to me at this point. Ayo got to see an NBA court, which is a very cool moment. Ayo’s past proves that he will put the time, effort, and dedication into improving as a player in the future. The exciting part is, we have only just begun.