Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu will undergo shoulder surgery Wednesday morning, with doctors expecting a four to six month recovery period. An MRI revealed a surprising detail – the fracture in his left shoulder is at least a year old.
The 25-year-old Chicago native had been playing through the pain for months, showing just how tough he is. But things took a turn after the February 20th game against the Knicks, forcing him to sit out three straight matches.
“My shoulder goes numb and [would pop] out in the back,” Dosunmu explained before Tuesday’s Cavaliers game. “It happened numerous times, but I can’t tell you exactly when it started.”
He tried to push through it one last time, playing 23 minutes against the Raptors last Friday. The pain only got worse.
This will be the first surgery of Dosunmu’s NBA career. He’s staying positive though, already looking ahead to next season’s training camp – the final year of his three-year, $21 million deal with his hometown Bulls.
“I’m excited to knock this surgery out and attack rehab,” he said Tuesday.
It’s been a strong season for Dosunmu despite the injury. He’s put up career-best numbers across the board:
โข 12.3 points per game
โข 4.5 assists
โข 3.5 rebounds
Looking back on his 46 games this season, Dosunmu’s proud of what he accomplished while battling through the injury.
“The last game, I was just trying to give it all I had, help the team get a win,” he said. “I pretty much knew it would probably be my last game of the season. Just knew how I felt out there.”
For the Bulls, getting their young guard healthy for next season will be crucial as they continue building around their core players.
