Philadelphia 76ers Big Man Intends to Compete in EuroBasket 2025

In light of all the injuries the Philadelphia 76ers faced this season, the younger talent got far more opportunities to play than anyone expected. Following a successful run as a rookie, one member of the roster plans to continue sharpening his skills by playing competitively overseas in the offseason.

With their second-round pick in the 2024 draft, the Sixers took a flier on former UCLA big man Adem Bona. He was originally supposed to be a development project, learning behind the likes of Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond. However, with both of them spending the majority of the year on the sidelines, the 22-year-old got to showcase his talents at the NBA level.

For being a second-round pick, Bona showed the potential of being an athletic, rim-running center in the NBA. Across the 58 games he appeared in, he averaged 5.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 1.2 BPG. Bona's best individual showing came in April during the final stretch of the regular season. In a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, he erupted for 28 points and six rebounds on 13-for-15 shooting from the field.

While going through his offseason training, Bona will also have the opportunity to get a lot of live game action under his belt. During a recent interview, Turkish national team head coach Ergin Ataman said the Sixers center intends to play for Turkey in EuroBasket this summer.

"Adem will be at the EuroBasket. Our Turkish Basketball Federation Sporting Director Alper Yılmaz visited him last week. Adem is very eager to play for the national team," Ataman said.

Continuing to play in a competitive environment should do well for Bona as he looks to round out his game. Following his brief stint overseas, he'll then return to the Sixers, where he'll attempt to continue showing the franchise he can be an everyday player.

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