That was certainly true Wednesday morning at Union Park, where Dosunmu gravitated toward the ball as he weaved between campers at the Ayo Dosunmu Block Party, an annual children’s event the Chicago Bulls guard hosts. Dosunmu couldn’t help himself from grabbing a ball to check its bounce or snagging rebounds under one basket for a quick putback.
The block party has become a centerpiece of Dosunmu’s summers in Chicago since he was drafted in 2021. Now entering his fifth NBA season, Dosunmu’s mission is the same — creating the type of safe environment for play that he craved growing up in Morgan Park.
“It’s been amazing to be able to create a safe space, to be able to play in Chicago,” Dosunmu told the Tribune. “That’s my main mission, my main goal.”
As a kid, Dosunmu learned by example. He grew up attending camps organized by local players such as Quentin Richardson, Will Bynum and, of course, Derrick Rose.
“Being young, going to those camps, it gave me a little bit of motivation to be able to do that myself one day,” Dosunmu said.
Becoming a Bull held a different weight for Dosunmu, a proud Chicagoan who never has played for a team outside the state of Illinois.
And even as the trade rumor mill continues to swirl around the Bulls, Dosunmu is focused on his long-term future in his hometown.
“I don’t think God makes mistakes,” Dosunmu said. “The position I’m in, I’m here for a reason. I want to always embrace each and every bit of that.”
For Dosunmu, there’s another reason for gratitude this season: a full return from a shoulder injury that required surgery and sidelined him for the final 22 games of the 2024-25 season.
Dosunmu still isn’t sure when he injured his left shoulder. What he does know is sometime in the last two years, he fractured the anterior of his non-shooting shoulder, creating a weakness in the socket. Over the ensuing season, his shoulder occasionally would slip into partial dislocation, resulting in numbness.
Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu makes a steal to start a fast break in overtime against the Raptors on Feb. 28, 2025, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)The same strange numbing sensation occurred at least five times last season, but Dosunmu simply played on, downplaying the injury — until February, when the situation finally became unmanageable. He dislocated his shoulder in a Feb. 20 game against the New York Knicks and barely could sleep that night because of the pain. In the morning, he couldn’t lift his arm over his head.
Dosunmu sat out three games, then attempted a final outing Feb. 28 against the Toronto Raptors before being shut down for the rest of the season. He underwent the first surgery in his life March 5 with an estimated four- to six-month recovery window.
Nearly five months later, Dosunmu said he’s on track in that recovery plan and set to participate fully in training camp.
Some injuries allow basketball players to continue hooping during recovery. But that’s not the case for shoulder surgery, which forced Dosunmu to wear a sling and stay off the court for weeks.
When the medical team officially gave him the all clear to begin light, no-contact exercises, he immediately hustled to the Bulls practice court at the Advocate Center to set up a rack of balls. His shot was a bit rusty — it had been a minute, OK? — but Dosunmu felt an instant wave of relief knowing he was finally back on the court.
He’s now cleared for contact, which he took advantage of in July during a trip to Andalucía with the National Basketball Players Association. And he’s eager to scrimmage against Bulls teammates such as Coby White and Matas Buzelis later this summer when the players host another informal minicamp in Miami.
Ayo Dosunmu watches youths play basketball during a clinic hosted by Dosunmu and Chicago Bulls Youth Hoops Coaches on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at Union Park. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)“I feel great,” Dosunmu said. “I feel right on schedule if not ahead. I’m just excited for these next couple of months to really get in even better shape and be able to go out there.”
Now Dosunmu has one goal for the 2025-26 season: getting healthy and staying healthy.
His sturdiness has been one of his greatest strengths throughout his college and pro career. He missed a combined 13 games in his first three seasons with the Bulls, a testament to his durability and overall physical conditioning.
But the shoulder injury showed the potential downside of the stubbornness that drives Dosunmu. He insisted on playing through discomfort and pain, convincing himself it would heal on its own. That toughness eventually degraded into surgery, rehabilitation and forced patience.
It’s a lesson Dosunmu hopes to learn only once. His plans for the upcoming season revolve around a heightened approach to recovery, including longer hours before and after games to improve his stability and flexibility.
Every aspect of this approach revolves around one simple goal: never having to go without the ball in his hands again.
“Anytime something is taken away from you, it makes you appreciate it more,” Dosunmu said.