By ADAM ZAGORIA
UCLA freshman big man Adem Bona has declared for the NBA Draft, he announced.
“I want to thank God for even allowing me to be in this position,” he wrote in a statement. “Without Him, none of this would have been possible. To my teammates, I can’t thank you guys enough for the support this season. We were locked in, and we’ll be brothers for life. To my coaches, I want to thank the entire coaching staff for taking a chance on me. Every one of you made me a better athlete, but more importantly, a better man. Thank you for helping me get closer to my dreams.
“To my family, I could spend hours talking about you and it wouldn’t be enough. Your love and support made all of this possible. To Bruin Nation, thank you for welcoming me from day one. The memories that I’ve made in Westwood will stick with me for the rest of my life. Ever since I picked up a basketball, it has always been my dream to show that I could play at the highest level. With that being said, I have decided to declare for the 2023 NBA Draft.”
The 6-foot-10 native of Nigeria averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks for a Bruins team that finished 31-6 and won the PAC-12 title.
Bona was honored as the 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and was among five freshmen to secure All-Pac-12 Freshman Team honors. He was also one of five student-athletes named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. Bona secured honorable mention All-Pac-12 acclaim.
“We will support Adem through this process with the NBA,” said coach Mick Cronin. “He’s still in school and he will retain his eligibility. He is rehabbing daily from his shoulder injury. Adem is one of the best young people who I’ve ever coached, and I’m excited for him. This is part of having great players in your program. We will support him and Jaylen Clark as they navigate through this process.”
UCLA's Adem Bona will enter the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he told ESPN. Bona had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum which will prevent him from conducting workouts or participating in summer league. He's expected to make a full recovery by October pic.twitter.com/MiaRVTCMIK
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 19, 2023
He joins Tyger Campbell, Amari Bailey, Jaylen Clark and Jaime Jaquez among Bruins to declare for the Draft.
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