Former UConn star Andre Drummond is in his 12th season in the NBA, but he just did something no player in Chicago Bulls history has ever done.
It’s been over a decade since Middletown native Andre Drummond was starring at UConn as a freshman big man bound for the NBA Draft lottery. But the 30-year-old is still thriving in the league, and on Tuesday night, he did something no player in Chicago Bulls franchise history had ever done before.
Drummond racked up 24 points and 25 rebounds, while also coming away with three steals and two blocks in a 118-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks. He became the first Bulls player to post that stat line and just the sixth in NBA history according to Yahoo! Sports, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Roy Tarpley, Chris Webber and Dwight Howard.
This @AndreDrummond stat line!!!
24 PTS | 25 REB | 2 BLK | 3 STL | 11-13 FG pic.twitter.com/Jyw76xab3l
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 27, 2023
Drummond did all of that while making his first start of the season for the Bulls as Nikola Vucevic was out with a groin injury.
“He was awesome,” coach Billy Donovan told reporters after the game. “I’m really personally happy for him just because every day he comes in and works and is about the team. And a guy of his caliber and what he’s done in his career, he probably deserves more minutes. But whatever he’s given minute-wise, he’s kept himself ready to play.”
“My mentality is I’m not a backup,” Drummond said. “I still believe I’m a starter in this league.”
After his 24-point, 25-rebound game in tonight’s win over the Hawks, Bulls center Andre Drummond went into the stands to hug his mother.
“She’s my biggest supporter,” Drummond said. “She’s been there since day one. She’s always telling me I can do it.” pic.twitter.com/cL5zV2jwBN
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) December 27, 2023
Drummond became the first Bull since Ben Wallace in 2006 to record at least 25 rebounds in a game. The franchise record is 37, set by Tom Boerwinkle back in 1970.
Since entering the league in 2012, Drummond has been somewhat of a rebounding savant, and he’s racked up 10,199 boards in his career so far, which ranks 45th all-time and third among active players for their career. Only LeBron James and DeAndre Jordan have more.
“It’s just a knack that I have. It’s a skill. It’s an art,” Drummond told reporters. “It’s something I pride myself on. It gets me going in a game when I get offensive rebounds.”
Sanogo called up
Drummond wasn’t the only former UConn big man who had a big moment with the Bulls on Tuesday. Last season’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player Adama Sanogo, who has spent the first part of the season in the G League with the Windy City Bulls, was called up to the NBA team in Vucevic’s absence.
Sanogo, who went undrafted but signed a two-way contract with the Bulls (meaning he can play in both the NBA and G League), has had an impressive start with the G League squad. In 16 games, he’s averaged 17.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He’s yet to play in a regular-season NBA game, though he did log a total of 22 minutes in two preseason games for Chicago back in October.
