Ayo Dosunmu mask: Why is the Illinois star wearing a mask? Kobe Bryant link explained

Illinois basketball had a masked man on the court during the ongoing NCAA tournament. Ayo Dosunmu, despite the result, stood out on the court – both for his black mask and performance. The young Illinois star was paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, wanting to honour the NBA legend in his own unique way. 

Why is Illinois Ayo Dosunmu wearing a mask? Ayo Dosunmu Black Mamba tribute

After the game, Dodunmu revealed that Bryant was the one who inspired him to wear the mask he chooses to wear during games. When asked, he spoke about paying tribute to Bryant and other great NBA players who have paved the way for young players, allowing them to make their own mark. 

Bryant wore a mask years ago after Dwyane Wade ended up hitting him on the nose during the All-Star Game in 2012. For some games after that, Bryant alternated between a transparent and black mask. Dosunmu suffered from a nose injury in February during a game against Michigan Spartans. The 21-year-old wore a black mask after that. 

Later, Dosunmu also recreated Bryant's trophy photos after the trophy Illinois won during the 2021 Big Ten Tournament. 

Fans react to Ayo Dosunmu mask

NCAA results and NCAA tournament bracket

This weekend, Illinois became the first No. 1 seed to exit the NCAA Tournament. They lost to 71-58 to Loyola Chicago in the second round, not leading once during the game. “The first 10 minutes of that game, they got us on our heels, and we never really recovered,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “We had stretches, but they just rocked us". 

This was Illinois' first tournament since 2013. "I hope we’re remembered as the guys that really helped turn this program around,” Dosunmu said after the game. He claimed that that is what it is all about, and when he came to Illinois, his main goal was to get the "program back on the map, help get this program back as one of the national powerhouses". 

(Image credits: Ayo Dosunmu Instagram)