Q&A with Chicago Bulls guard and Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu

FOX 32's Tina Nguyen goes one-on-one with Bulls guard and Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu

One of the pieces that has the most potential on the Bulls' roster is Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu. FOX 32's Tina Nguyen caught up with Dosunmu in the midst of his third NBA season.

CHICAGO, Ill. - Every basketball fan dreams of playing for their hometown team as a kid. Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu has been living that dream for three seasons.

FOX 32's Tina Nguyen caught up with the Morgan Park High School alum, University of Illinois alum and current Bull.

Q&A with Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu

Tina Nguyen: As a former Illini, I’ve gotta ask you real quick. Give me your thoughts on the run that Illinois went in the in the big dance.

Ayo Dosunmu: I was very proud of them. That was a very monumental for the program. I think it just speaks to the success and hard work not just the players, but the coaching staff and the whole staff there put in to create a winning culture. I think getting to the dance, that was something that was huge. While I was there, we made the tournament and then two years after that. So, for them to finally get past the first weekend, make the second weekend, I think that's progress. Now, the next goal is to make it a third weekend.

TN: Let's talk about your current team. Few games left in the regular season. How would you describe what the season has been like for you personally?

AD: It's been it's been fun. It definitely has been fun. It's been entertaining. Ups and downs. Just looking back at it from the start of the season, watching film, it's just anytime you get towards the end of something, you always look back, and you’re just grateful. Of course, to be here today, I’m really just speechless because the season goes by so fast. Before you know it, you're in April. And before you know, it is win or go home games. It's been a such fun, entertaining and competitive group of guys and in the best league in the world. So we try to really just focus on now trying to get in a good rhythm to try to make a deep run in the postseason. But the regular season to be done with six games left, three games against the Knicks. It’s like wow.

TN: How has your role evolved this season?

AD: Just continuing to get better. Continuing to get better, of course. Putting the Lord first. Just having faith in the Lord that whatever obstacles on my way, I'm gonna be able to accomplish it. And then it's about just trying to get better on the court, find different ways to grow, find different ways to impact winning on both ends of the court. I think I did a pretty good job of that. I'm continuing to try to do that, try to keep getting better, keep adding different layers of my game. I think I did a good job with that.

TN: You're a Chicago native. You went to Morgan Park. What's it like to play on an NBA stage in your hometown?

AD: It's amazing. It's amazing. It's amazing because I grew up Bulls fan. So to be able to play for the Bulls, like, it's something that I never would have imagined, like, that's a dream come true. If you ask any basketball player who grew up in their hometown, their dream is always to play for the city that they were born in. So for me to play for the Bulls, that's why I'm grateful. I'm grateful each and every day I step into the Advocate. Each and every day I go into the United Center. I'm grateful. I’m always trying to find a way to get better. Because, like I said, there is a very small percent, very small percent of NBA players who get drafted and get to play meaningful minutes for their hometown. That's why I'm trying to continue to get better. Trying to continue to evolve as a player and evolve off the court by helping the community and being an advocate in the community.

TN: What's your favorite part about playing in your hometown?

AD: I would think knowing the food and knowing the restaurants.

TN: Guys ask you for recommendations often, huh?

AD: Yeah. Definitely. But Chicago is so big. And one thing also like before I was drafted here, I've never been to the Advocate. I really, really went to Bulls games. I never really played in the United Center. When I was younger I did, but older I didn't. So it kind of was like it was a good thing because this still is something new to me. Like I still haven't seen this. But of course, being home, being able to see family, like when we go on the road for a long time, being able to have lunch with my parents, my mom, see my grandparents, still communicate with them. Of course, being able to spend time with my family on birthdays. Those are perks.

TN: Last two quick ones for you. You recently started an AAU team, why is it so important for you to start something like that?

AD: I want to start an AAU team because I think AAU was very pivotal for me. I think it was very pivotal for my development and also me being able to go to university and get a free education. There's plenty at that platform. So, I wanted to start young. I started on a 12 youth team that's my youngest 12 year old, and I have a 13, 14 and a 17, of course. But my mainly groups are 12 through 14. I really want to instill in them everything I learned playing here. You going to camps, going to Nike camps, talking to pro ex-NBA players. Financially, things of that nature. I want to be able to instill that into them early. I want to get them an advantage. Like, different classes, how to talk to the media, what to say, how to perform interviews, things of that nature. And I think that that was something that was very monumental for me. So, I thought that it was great to start young again. It's exciting. It's exciting because some of the stuff that they’re learning now, they don't understand that that's something that you don't learn until you get older. But I love them. So, I'm trying to help them now and give them an advantage.

TN: Lastly, you mentioned just six games left. What do you guys need to do to finish strong here?

AD: We’ve got to just keep getting the rhythm. I think anytime you make a postseason run, as you may know my Illini, it’s all about getting in a rhythm. It's about getting a rhythm and gaining the right confidence at the right time and playing together. So his last two games, we pretty much know our opponent, maybe Atlanta. Now, it's all about where the game will be played at. We have to win that game and then win another game. So it's all about starting now. I think these six games are very important because it shows the momentum going again to those next games, and we want to go into those games with the right mindset.