Ayo Dosunmu rubs elbows with Barack Obama at an event for local high schoolers, reflecting the Chicago Bulls guard’s commitment to community service

MIAMI — Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu found himself in unexpected company Monday — with former President Barack Obama.

Dosunmu joined Obama, Bulls creative strategy and design adviser Don C. and two Chicago-area students on a panel at an Obama Foundation event for local high schoolers. The discussion focused on the importance of utilizing community resources and organizations.

Dosunmu didn’t know Obama would be in attendance until a week before the event and even then wasn’t expecting the extended time spent side by side with the former president. Although Dosunmu contained his nerves, he said the “once-in-a-lifetime” meeting left an impression on him as well as on the 60 high school students in attendance.

“It really didn’t feel real until I actually saw him there,” Dosunmu said.

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Dosunmu is well-known in the Bulls locker room for his inquisitiveness, constantly seeking advice from veteran players. He employed the same nature with Obama, who took time to speak individually with Dosunmu.

“He told me to always get better,” Dosunmu said. “Anything you do — there’s going to be hard times, there’s going to be good times. Just keep it going, never stop.”

Dosunmu’s participation in the daylong event — which included art therapy and yoga sessions in addition to the panel discussion — reflected his increasing commitment to community activism and service as he rises in stature in the NBA. He was slated to start at point guard Wednesday in the season opener against the Heat in Miami.

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A Chicago native, Dosunmu recognizes the responsibility and opportunity his place on the Bulls roster provides. The second-year guard said he hopes to continue fostering a relationship with his community.

“I’m trying to get better at that, not just being a role model on the court but being a role model off the court,” Dosunmu said. “Those events like that, it goes a long way past just being a basketball player. I put a lot of work into that. … I want to be a huge factor in that and in Chicago.”

Dosunmu’s commitment to the community is intrinsic to his history in Chicago. This summer, he hosted a block party community event to honor Darius Brown, his best friend who was killed in a 2011 shooting on their neighborhood basketball court in Bronzeville.

Dosunmu has dedicated many moments of his career to Brown, including getting a tattoo in his friend’s honor over the summer. Brown’s memory also drives Dosunmu off the court, where he hopes to become a more vocal activist against gun violence in Chicago.

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Dosunmu also spoke at a peace walk alongside Mayor Lori Lightfoot in July organized by St. Sabina Church. As he spends more time in the company of major Chicago leaders, Dosunmu feels his voice and confidence continuing to grow.

“I want people to be able to look up to (me), to see that the things I do for the community are genuine, the things I do for the city are genuine,” Dosunmu said. “Hopefully it spreads and then other people will do the same.”