Adem Bona

Adem Bona (born Ikechukwu Stanley Okoro; 28 March 2003) is a Nigerian-born Turkish basketball player who attends Prolific Prep in Napa, California.

Adem Bona
No. 5 – Prolific Prep
PositionCenter
Personal information
Born (2003-03-28) 28 March 2003
Lagos, Nigeria
NationalityTurkish
Listed height2.09 m (6 ft 10 in)
Listed weight95.3 kg (210 lb)
Career information
High schoolProlific Prep
(Napa, California)
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2020Pınar Karşıyaka
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Turkey
FIBA U18 European Championship
2019 GreeceTeam
FIBA U16 European Championship
2018 SerbiaTeam

Early life and career

Bona was born Ikechukwu Stanley Okoro in Lagos, Nigeria as the youngest of five children.[1] He grew up playing football as a midfielder but switched to basketball due to his height.[2] He often played basketball with makeshift hoops in the fields, sometimes without a ball. Okoro was playing for about one year when a video of him drew the attention of Turkish coach Türkay Çakıroğlu, who then contacted Istanbul Basket coach Nevzat Özdemir.[3] At age 13, he moved to Turkey, leaving behind the rest of his family, and began his career with Istanbul Basket.[2][4] In February 2019, Bona moved to Pınar Karşıyaka and continued competing at the youth level.[5]

On 30 October 2019, Bona made his professional debut for Pınar Karşıyaka, playing one minute in a 77–57 win over Donar in the FIBA Europe Cup.[6] On 16 November, he debuted in the Basketball Super League (BSL), scoring two points in an 84–55 victory over Galatasaray.[7]

High school career

On 18 September 2020, it was announced that Bona would continue his career at Prolific Prep in Napa, California.[8]

National team career

At the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship in Udine, Bona averaged 14.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and four blocks per game, leading Turkey to fifth place. He ranked second at the tournament in rebounds and blocks and was named to the All-Star Five.[9]

Personal life

In April 2018, Okoro became a Turkish citizen and officially changed his name to Adem Bona.[2] He named himself after Adam.[1]

References
  1. "Adem Bona kimdir?" (in Turkish). ABCSpor. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  2. "Finally playing with same age, Bona takes leadership role in quest for podium top step". FIBA. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  3. Arıöz, Levent (9 March 2019). "Yeni Bobby Adem". 9 Eylül Gazetesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  4. "Karşınızda Adem Bona" (in Turkish). TRT Spor. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  5. "Adem Bona'yı Pınar Karşıyaka Kaptı!" (in Turkish). Eurohoops. 3 February 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  6. "Pınar Karşıyaka, Groningen'e fark attı! 16 yaşındaki Adem Bona ilk kez..." Hürriyet (in Turkish). 31 October 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  7. "Adem Bona: "Gösterdikleri Destekten Ötürü Taraftarlarımıza Teşekkür Ediyorum"" (in Turkish). Karşıyaka Basket. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  8. Robledillo, Albert (18 September 2020). "Adem Bona ('03) chooses USA over Europe". Eurohopes. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  9. "MVP Dominguez headlines All-Star Five in Udine". FIBA. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
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