Nigerian -born Adem Bona is leaving UCLA after two seasons and entering the NBA draft, the 6-foot-10 forward-center announced Friday, few days after being named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year this season
Bona , a sophomore from Lagos, posted his decision on his Instagram account., saying that playing in the NBA has been a “lifelong dream.”
“These past 2 years have flown by,” Bona posted. “Basketball has given me such an amazing opportunity to make memories with people I will cherish forever. But this is only the beginning. I’m so excited to see where this game is going to take me next.”
His decision did not come as a surprise. Bruins coach Mick Cronin said: “We believe that he´s just scratching the surface, in terms of his potential and his ability to really thrive on the court.”
Bona finished with 115 blocks, ranking sixth on UCLA’s career list. He was the first player since Dan Gadzuric in 2001 to have back-to-back seasons with at least 50 blocks.
Bona earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors both seasons and was named the league´s Freshman of the Year in 2023.
