PHILADELPHIA - JUNE 27, 2024 - The Philadelphia 76ers selected Adem Bona with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

“Adem is a high-motor player with proven abilities as both a rim protector and switchable defender,” Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said. “He possesses an impressive blend of size, athleticism, and defensive toughness, and we’re excited to add him to our team.”

As a sophomore this past season at UCLA, Bona averaged 12.4 points on 58.8-percent shooting along with 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks (second in Pac-12). He was named the 2023-24 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in addition to being selected to the 2023-24 All-Pac-12 First Team. The year prior, Bona was named the 2022-23 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, ranking second in the conference in field-goal percentage (67.5%).

All told, Bona appeared in 66 games (65 starts) over two seasons with the Bruins, averaging 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocked shots per contest.

Prior to UCLA, Bona was a 2021-22 McDonald’s High School All-American after starring at Prolific Prep in Napa, California. Originally from Nigeria, Bona moved to Turkey when he was 13 and represented Turkey at the FIBA U16 European Championship. In 2019, he averaged 14.1 points over seven games, while ranking second in the tournament in both rebounds (72) and blocked shots (28).