Adem Bona

Adem Bona was born Ikechukwu Stanley Okoro in Lagos, Nigeria. He grew up playing soccer as a midfielder but switched to basketball because of his height. He often played basketball with makeshift hoops in fields, sometimes without a ball. At age 13, Bona moved to Turkey, leaving behind the rest of his family, and began his career with Istanbul Basket. In 2019, Bona made his professional debut for Pinar Karsiyaka. On September 18, 2020, it was announced that Bona would continue his career at Prolific Prep in Napa, California. He was a consensus 5-star recruit after averaging 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 2.5 assists per game. He was named to the 2022 McDonald's All-American Game. Bona committed to playing basketball at UCLA over an offer from Kentucky. As a freshman in 2022-2023, Bona started 32 out of 33 games and averaged 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Bona also shot 68% from the field for the Bruins Bona had an excellent season in 2023-2024 for UCLA. He started all 33 games and averaged 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds, while shooting 59% from the field. After the season, Bona announced he was entering the NBA draft.