Tag: Adem Bona

Adem Bona finds familiar face with 76ers

Adem Bona has a familiar face in Philly.

The Philadelphia 76ers recently drafted Adem Bona in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Going to a new team obviously put some worry in the mind of the former UCLA Bruins star.

But, just a week into his NBA journey, Bona has found a familiar face with the Philadelphia 76ers. Bona has connected with 76ers assistant coach Rico Hines.

Hines has been with the 76ers since the 2023 season. Before that, he was an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. During his college time, Hines played at UCLA from 1997-2002. Hines played 101 games for the Bruins and averaged just shy of 14 minutes per game.

Bona will be on the 76ers official summer league roster. He will join Jared McCain, who was drafted 16th overall. The NBA Summer League in Salt Lake will start on July 8th, and then move to Las Vegas from July 12th-22nd.

Bona scored just over 10 points per game in 66 games for the Bruins.

Adem Bona thrilled to be member of Philadelphia 76ers

Welcome to the NBA.

As mentioned last week, former UCLA Bruins Adem Bona is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.ย  The 6’9, 245lbs big man from Nigeria was selected in the second round, 41st overall.

After winning All Pac-12 honors, and being named the conference defensive player of the year, his talent is wanted in the National Basketball Association. At UCLA, Bona played in 66 games, starting all but 1. He scored 10.1 points per game, including 12.4 in his final season.

The big man is officially a Turkish citizen, and he discussed his history in an interview with ESPN. He spoke with a reporter at the NBA Draft event and had this to say about being drafted in the NBA:

It means the world to me. I represent a lot of people. I represent two countries, and I know that back home, they’re very proud of me.

You can watch the footage of the interview here:

Bona is expected to be with the team in Las Vegas this summer for the summer league. The first game is slated for July 13th against the Detroit Pistons.

Mick Cronin releases statement after Adem Bona gets selected by 76ers

Mick Cronin wishes Bona the best.

UCLA Bruins big man Adem Bona is officially joining the Philadelphia 76ers. He was selected No. 41 overall in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin released a statement after Bona found out his new NBA home:

โ€œWe are all thrilled to see Adem selected, as he has worked very hard for this moment. The 76ers are getting a talented, hard-working & driven young man who will be an asset to their organization. All of us at UCLA loved being around Adem every day. He is a humble & caring person, & I truly believe he has only scratched the surface in terms of his basketball potential & development. We look forward to watching him thrive in Philadelphia, & we will be cheering for him every step of the way.โ€

After a stellar run in Westwood, it will be interesting to watch Adem Bona in the Summer League as he hopes to crack a spot on the opening day roster.

College Sports Wire shows list of weaknesses for Adem Bona

Here are the weaknesses for Adem Bona.

UCLA Bruins big man was selected at No. 41 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024 NBA draft. Bona now goes from Westwood to the East Coast and should be a player to keep an eye on as he tries to make the roster.

However, there are some areas of weakness for Adem Bona, as detailed by Andy Patton of College Sports Wire.

  • While an outside shot could develop in time, right now heโ€™s a non-factor offensively outside of 12-15 feet. Unlikely to ever be a three point shooter
  • Sub-70% free throw shooter last season, and was under 60% as a freshman
  • Will need to work on limiting fouls in order to stay on the court at the next level
  • Twice as many turnovers as assists last year. Not much versatility on offense
  • Shuffles his feet a lot and gets called for a lot of travels

As is the case with every player, there are weaknesses, and Bona will have to work hard if he wants to land a spot on the roster once the 2024-2025 season begins.

Big man Adem Bona has a message for Sixers fans after his selection

Rookie big man Adem Bona shares a message for fans of the Philadelphia 76ers as he looks to make an impact quickly.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers were able to land a big man in the NBA draft in Round 2 on Thursday in the form of UCLA’s Adem Bona with the No. 41 overall pick. He won the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024 and will look to make an impact with the Sixers.

He averaged 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks as a sophomore with the Bruins and will be looking to show off what he can bring to the table in Philadelphia. Bona could possibly make an impact soon after some development as a backup center to Joel Embiid.

The biggest skill Bona brings to the table is his motor. He works as hard as anybody out on the floor and he has a message for Sixers fans about what to expect out of him.

“The one thing about me, youโ€™re always going to get all out effort from me,” he said succinctly. “Every time I step on the floor, I compete and give all the energy I can give. I give all the energy to the team and get to wherever I wanna get to. I think Phillyโ€™s getting one of the hardest workers in the draft.”

Defense and hard work is going to be Bona’s calling card. He is still a bit raw on the offensive end and that’s where the developmental side of things has to come through, but he projects to be a solid defensive player right away.

“Growing up, I played soccer,” he stated on his defensive ability. “I think that helped with my speed and my agility and my mobilenessโ€”the way I move on the floor. Also, playing at UCLA, I played behind the Defensive Player of the Year my freshman year in Jaylen Clark. I think that kind of opened my eyes to how much defense can make an impact in the game.”

Defense is just as important to the game of basketball. Bona can make an impact quickly on that end of the floor while his offensive game continues to expand and playing with some solid players in college has helped him prepare for this moment with the Sixers.

“After he (Clark) left for the league–and it meant a lot for me,” Bona finished. “Obviously, we play different positions, but just his alertness, how quick he is on his feet to go after balls, I think that kind of helped me focus and understand how much defense can impact a basketball game.”

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Sixers rookie Adem Bona goes through emotions, playing with Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Adem Bona discusses going through the emotions of being drafted and learning from Joel Embiid.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves a solid prospect in the second round of the NBA draft on Thursday when they selected UCLA big man Adem Bona with the No. 41 overall pick. It never hurts to add the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year to the roster.

Bona averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks as a sophomore with the Bruins. He will now look to carry those numbers and that energy to his NBA career with the Sixers.

The big man had to make a quick turnaround after being drafted on Thursday to making the trip down to the Sixers practice facility on Friday as he discussed the emotions he has gone through.

“Itโ€™s been amazing,” Bona said on Friday. “I felt everything. Happiness, sadness, joy, every emotion just hit me at the same time. Itโ€™s just unreal to get your name called. Like, I still canโ€™t believe it. Iโ€™m an NBA player right now. We worked towards this goal every single day of our life to get to the NBA. Weโ€™re here now so itโ€™s pretty exciting.”

The Sixers will be counting on Bona to bring a high energy level to the Sixers on a nightly basis. With the uncertainty surrounding Paul Reed’s future, there is a small chance that Bona will make an impact as the backup to Joel Embiid.

Speaking of Embiid, the rookie big man is excited to learn from the superstar MVP.

“We have similar roots,” he stated. “Heโ€™s African. I am African, too. Playing against him, going against him every day is going to be a handful for me and also, itโ€™s gonna be a learning process for me to be able to learn from such an amazing player, itโ€™s really gonna be a good step for me towards my career. Practicing against him every day and going against him in practice, I think thatโ€™s going to help me in my progression.”

As far as the expectations for himself, Bona is just ready to get to work and give the Sixers a competitor on a nightly basis.

“I spoke with the front office pretty much after I got drafted,” he explained. “I can feel the energy truly form. I can tell what the organization is about. Theyโ€™re hard-working, the expectations, itโ€™s an amazing program. Weโ€™re a part of a great team and itโ€™s really exciting to be here. I canโ€™t wait to get to work.”

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College Sports Wire lists strengths of Adem Bona

Adem Bona has a lot of strengths.

With UCLA Bruins big man Adem Bona joining the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the NBA Draft, there are a lot of positives.

There are a lot of positives for UCLA big man Adem Bona, and Andy Patton of College Sports Wire laid them all out earlier in the month:

  • Insanely long arms and jumping ability should help his rim protection skills immediately translate to the next level
  • He flies up and down the court, with sprint speeds and explosiveness like a guard rather than a center
  • Speed and quickness allows him to beat defenders one-on-one when given the chance
  • Switchable defender who can capably defend on the block and in space
  • Lob threat thanks to jumping ability, and moves quickly to cut to the rim and finish through contact. A natural PnR rim running big in the modern NBA
  • High energy big with a lot of enthusiasm and emotion

All of those things are likely what made Bona appealing to the 76ers as he begins his new chapter.

Adem Bona’s outside shooting must improve

This is what Adem Bona needs to work on most.

UCLA Bruins big man Adem Bona is about to begin his NBA career after being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers at 41 overall.

While there are a lot of positives of the skillset that Bona brings to the table, there are always weaknesses with players.

There are some areas of concern for Adem Bona, and Andy Patton of College Sports Wire wrote about those:

But, like with many big men in the modern era, his lack of outside shooting will limit his upside in the NBA. Bona took one three pointer in two seasons at UCLA, and he shot under 70% from the free throw line.

Bona had a terrific career in Westwood before heading to the NBA Draft and he now lands with the 76ers with players such as Joel Embiid to hopefully help turn him into a consistent option.

Rookie big man Adem Bona reacts to joining Joel Embiid, Sixers

Rookie big man Adem Bona reacts to joining Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers after being selected.

The Philadelphia 76ers selected UCLA big man Adem Bona with the No. 41 pick in the 2024 NBA draft as they did end up making both selections. It was a bit of a surprise when considering the Sixers are a title contender, but they got a good player with both picks.

Bona was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore with the Bruins and averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. The energy he plays with makes him a potential backup to Joel Embiid for the long-term and he is also somebody who could play in some lineups with Embiid.

Speaking to reporters after being selected, Bona gave his reaction to joining the Sixers and he singled out Embiid:

I can’t wait to get there. To get to work. Iโ€™m so excited to be there. Actually, my older brother is a Philly fan. Heโ€™s really excited right now, probably. heโ€™s back home in Nigeria watching. I canโ€™t wait to be there, man. Iโ€™m also getting the opportunity to meet Joel Embiid.

This is a great opportunity for Bona now to continue his NBA career and the Sixers will now look to move on to the next phase of the offseason. Free agency is set to begin on Sunday at 6 p.m. EDT and they figure to be one of the more active teams when considering the cap space they possess.

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76ers draft Adem Bona at No. 41 overall

Bona to Philly.

Adem Bona, from UCLA, was drafted 41st in the 2024 NBA Draft. He will be a member of the Philadelphia 76ers when the 2024-2025 season begins. The 6’10, 235lbs big man scored 12.4 points per game and ripped down 5.9 rebounds per game for the Bruins a season ago.

Bona joins Jared McCain, a guard from Duke in the draft. McCain was drafted 16th overall. On the 76ers, Bona and McCain will join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who were two of the top scorers a season ago in the NBA.

The NBA Draft started Wednesday night with forward Zaccharie Risacher from France as the top pick. Alex Sarr, the big man from Australia was second. The top pick was guard Reed Sheppard from Kentucky, who went to the Houston Rockets.

Bona is expected to play on the 76ers Summer League team this summer. He will battle for a roster spot for the 76ers, who made the postseason a season ago out of the Eastern Conference.