Ayo Dosunmu hosts second block party in honor of his friend

It was an event that held a lot of significance to Ayo Dosunmu.

Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu recently hosted his second block party in the Little Village neighborhood last Saturday. It was an event with the purpose of providing a safe place for young people to pursue their basketball dreams, and at the same time of honoring his friend Darius Brown, who was playing pickup basketball and got killed in the middle of a shootout between rival gangs. He was only 13 years old when he passed away.

Strong bond

Growing up in Chicago, Dosunmu and Brown had dreams of making it big in hoops. While Dosunmu wanted to go to Duke or North Carolina, Brown wanted to earn a scholarship at Kentucky. Dosunmu eventually went to Illinois before getting selected 38th overall by the Bulls in the 2021 NBA Draft.

“Our main goal was getting to high school and getting scholarships to college,” Dosunmu said. “We built a bond. You would never in a million years think that his life would be taken away at a young age.”

Giving back to his community

Chicago has been Dosunmu’s home and he’s proud to call it his own. He was raised on the South Side and has also spent time in Bronzeville, which is also called the “Black Metropolis.” Dosunmu’s event showcased an exciting basketball clinic, offered complimentary lunch, facilitated equipment donations, and provided various games and entertainment.

“Some kids, they want to play basketball but they never had a real coach, real counselors, real drills,” Dosunmu said.

Despite what happened to Darius and many other young black men in Chicago, Dosunmu maintains his love for the city.

“I do understand in the city of Chicago, it is neighborhoods, it is certain blocks where it can be labeled as that. Only thing I tell people is don’t be ignorant. Chicago is one of the biggest cities and one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” he said.