Presented by National Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
When the Chicago Bulls fell behind 22 points last week against the Sacramento Kings, Ayo Dosunmu’s voice rang out during timeouts, telling his teammates to stick with it, to stay the course.
When DeMar DeRozan took just one shot in the first half in that same game, Dosunmu was one of the players telling the veteran scorer they needed him to be more aggressive. DeRozan then scored 19 points in the fourth quarter in the Bulls’ victory.
This isn’t Dosunmu getting all cocky as a third-year player on the rise. It’s Dosunmu finding his leadership voice that matches his level-headed personality.
This is who Dosunmu is.
“I have a great relationship with my teammates. They can tell me something that constitutes constructive criticism, and I can just accept it,” Dosunmu said. “I have the same respect when I can tell my teammates if I see something wrong and they continue to do something that hurts the team. I can tell them right then and there, and then it’s over and we move on to the next room.
“That’s what great teams do. Great teams never win the whole game. They always take the other team’s best punch and then throw a punch. This is how we build coherence.
Consistent impact is what Dosunmu is achieving on the court in his third straight season as an unexpected starter. With Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams sidelined by season-ending surgeries, Dosunmu has gone from a player many expected during the offseason and preseason to being on the outside looking in and looking to make an impact as holder.
Dosunmu is averaging a career-high 10.8 points on 40 percent 3-point shooting and averaging a career-high 3.7 attempts per game.
“For some reason he’s not emotionally upset. I think that’s an extremely positive quality for him. He handles adversity extremely well,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He looks at adversity and sees it as a challenge, not a threat. He becomes more focused and energetic in these situations. I really admire that.
“When you put your heart and soul into something and it doesn’t go well, it’s easy to get frustrated. For him, he fights, fights and competes. Whether he makes a mistake or shoots, you’ll never know. He simply moves on to the next room. And I think he really tried to convey that message to our entire team.
Donovan constantly talks about how Dosunmu prefers direct communication and honest coaching. When asked where he thought his ability to handle this came from, Dosunmu didn’t hesitate.
“Exactly the way I was raised. My father has always been like that,” Dosunmu said. “You know how it is: when you were a child, when your father was like that, as you grow up you start to understand why. That’s exactly how I was always taught, my grandfather. And I think that’s the best way.
And now Dosunmu is using those experiences to become an important voice for the Bulls.
“We all have the same common goal, which is to try to win,” he said. “I understand there’s going to be some flow in the game. I understand there’s going to be some racing. I just always try to tell the team that we are good. Take their ride, keep going. To defend oneself. Keep doing it and when the game is over we can now look back at what we could have done differently.
“But there’s no need to be in the middle of the game and something doesn’t go the way we want and we complain or pout. It doesn’t do anything but continue the bleeding. That way , you guys get closer. If I know I can trust you to be able to tell you anything, it makes our relationship a lot stronger.
