The 2025 Philadelphia 76ers are quickly turning into one of the most fun teams of the NBA season. They are 4-0 and have been scoring in bunches this season. The defense has been questionable, but they are winning games, and it has not mattered as much yet. The best defender on the team has been second-year player Adem Bona, who is still getting better after adopting basketball late in his life.
On the road, the 76ers beat the Wizards, 139-134, and Bona was a difference maker. He blocked four shots in the fourth quarter and then a fifth in overtime as the 76ers returned from a 16-point deficit to win. His performance earned his fellow teammates, Trendon Watford and Tyrese Maxey, two great nicknames. Watford's was “Big Time Bona,” and Maxey's was “Bonafide.”
Philadelphia 76ers reporter Ky Carlin quoted the two players after the game and posted on X: “Trendon Watford on Adem Bona tonight: ‘That’s big time Bona. That’s what he does.” Tyrese Maxey: “Bonafide!” #Sixers.
Bona's put-back dunk off a missed floater from Tyrese Maxey gave the 76ers their first lead. After the play, Bona's teammates were extremely excited, but he reminded them that they hadn't gotten the win yet.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” he said in the visitors’ locker room at Capital One Arena. “At that point, the game wasn’t over, so I was like, ‘Let’s go, let’s go! … We’ve got more to play!’ It was an exciting feeling. And also, to bring the energy to the whole gym and see the whole team jump off the bench, it’s just amazing.”
While his teammates swarmed him, many Sixers performed great to keep Philadelphia undefeated. Maxey had 39 points and 10 assists, Joel Embiid had 25 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes, and Quentin Grimes finished with 23 points. It is also worth noting that Grimes came back to Philadelphia after the win and was quoted as saying the vibes were immaculate in Philadelphia.
It is worth noting that Adem Bona has a lot of room to grow as a basketball player, but his ability to block shots, despite being shorter than your typical big man in the NBA, immediately jumps out at you. That is a key to his play style and why he will have a home in the NBA.
