UCLA's Adem Bona Selected by Philadelphia in 2024 NBA Draft
June 27, 2024 | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK โ UCLA's Adem Bona was selected No. 41 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024 NBA Draft at the ESPN Seaport District Studio in New York City on Thursday.
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Bona, a 6-foot-10 forward/center from Nigeria, became the Bruins' fourth NBA Draft selection in the past two seasons, joining past UCLA teammates Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2023, Miami), Amari Bailey (2023, Charlotte) and Jaylen Clark (2023, Minnesota) in that group. Including Peyton Watson from the 2022 NBA Draft (Denver), Bona has become the fifth UCLA player selected in the draft in the past three seasons.
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Bona became UCLA's first player selected by the Philadelphia 76ers since Jonah Bolden was picked as the No. 36 overall selection by the organization in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
"We are all thrilled to see Adem selected, as he has worked very hard for this moment," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "The 76ers are getting a talented, hard-working and 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 and caring person, and I truly believe he has only scratched the surface in terms of his basketball potential and development. We look forward to watching him thrive in Philadelphia, and we will be cheering for him every step of the way."
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A two-year starter for the Bruins, Bona averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.7 blocks in 66 games at UCLA. He twice secured Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors (2023, 2024) and was honored as the 2024 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Bona was one of 10 student-athletes to secure first-team All-Pac-12 honors during his sophomore season (2023-24).
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Bona scored in double figures in 33 career games, totaling at least 20 points in four contests (all during the 2023-24 season). He ranks No. 6 on UCLA's career blocks list with 115 and finished his college career with six double-doubles. Bona became UCLA's first player with at least 50 blocks in consecutive seasons since Dan Gadzuric in 1999-00 and 2000-01.
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Bona arrived at UCLA in the summer of 2022 after two years of high school at Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Bona moved to Turkey at the age of 13 with his mother and began playing organized basketball. As a freshman with the Bruins in 2022-23, UCLA went 31-6 overall and won the Pac-12 regular-season title before advancing to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
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UCLA fans can lock in season tickets for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Fans can call (310) 206-5991 or email tickets@athletics.ucla.edu or click here for more information.
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