Sunday Adebayo

Sunday A. Adebayo (born 12 September 1973) is a Nigerian former professional basketball player. While a high school student, he played for the Nigerian soccer team for the Junior World Cup. and aspired to play professional soccer in Europe until his conversion to playing basketball as he grew taller. He played for the Nigerian basketball team at the 1991 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.

Adebayo relocated to Newark, New Jersey, US, where he worked for a year at an uncle's computer company. Adebayo played basketball in a league at his church and on playgrounds in Newark.

College career In 1993, Adebayo travelled to Arkansas, hoping to secure an athletic scholarship to play for University of Central Arkansas's Bears basketball team, but its roster was set, and it did not want to acquire someone who they considered a long-term project. Adebayo instead began his college basketball career playing for the Raiders of Three Rivers College, a community college in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where he became a first-team All-American. Adebayo still holds the Raiders record for career rebounds with 706.

Adebayo earned attention from major National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams throughout his junior college career, On 1 March 1996, Adebayo was deemed ineligible by the Razorbacks to complete the final 11 games of the season due to issues with his junior college transcript. His junior college grades had not been properly certified due to an administrative error by the University of Arkansas, and he had started to practice with the Razorbacks eight days earlier than permitted. Adebayo was allowed to stay at the University of Arkansas but could not play on the basketball team or receive financial aid. He withdrew from the draft before it took place and transferred to play for Memphis.

Adebayo's start with the University of Memphis Tigers during the 1996–97 season was delayed while he completed exams. Adebayo stayed in contact with his former team throughout the season in a display of loyalty that Richardson considered "unique." Adebayo's devotion to the Razorbacks bothered Tigers fans, who considered him a "traitor" and booed him throughout his first game upon his return from Arkansas. He averaged 13.3 points and a team-high 7 rebounds per game during his only season with the Tigers. An injury in February 1997, a partially torn knee ligament, seeded doubt on his playing prospects for the remainder of that season.

In April 1997, the NCAA admitted that Adebayo had been wrongly suspended.

Adebayo played four games in the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) during the 2000–01 season. He averaged 15.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

Adebayo played for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) during the 2002–03 NBL season. He averaged 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Career statistics

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