Illinois’ basketball career is now entering rear-view, superstar Kofi Cockburn eyeing his future in the NBA and possibly a combative Illini reunion.
Kofi Cockburn wants to play basketball in Illinois next year. Ideally, he would be in Chicago with the NBA Bulls along with his former college teammate in Illinois, Ayo Dosunmu.
“I’m going to love it, man,” Cockburn told FanSided. “I was just talking with Ayo Dosunmo yesterday on the phone and we basically talked about it. I was just telling him it would be crazy if we got together in Chicago. I think this is going to be a big time. I love Chicago, I love Illinois.”
Cockburn led Illinois to a share of the regular-season Big Ten title this past season and was the only player in college basketball to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Similar to Dosunmu when he was rising through the college ranks, a few NBA scouts were at a high level in Cockburn. Expected to be a late pick for the second round at best.
Dosunmu 38 is formulated generically. Cockburn does not allow his potentially low position to affect his confidence and uses Dosunmu’s success as proof that anything is possible.
“I don’t care if I don’t recruit,” Cockburn said. “I know when I get my chance, I’ll show people that I belong in there. Ayo went out and did it and now people realize it was really a lottery pick. I have that spirit, I’m a really hard worker, I’m focused, I’m dedicated at the end of the day it’s going to pay off, it’ll show up.” .”
Hard work is one thing, but there is also the talent and skill to do multiple things on the field which is needed in the NBA today. Cockburn hopes to be invited to NBA prep camps and show his game shape without the constraints of college basketball as he’s been asked to play on the low mass nearly every time on the court.
“My coach (Brad Underwood) doesn’t coach me in college basketball to take me to the next level, he coaches me to win basketball games here,” Cockburn said. “In the future I will have the opportunity to show people what I am capable of – that I am capable of playing at the next level.”
Cockburn has not yet decided when this future will be. He has another year of eligibility in Illinois and has been making money off of nothing deals. Life as a college student isn’t too bad these days even for someone who came from a meager financial upbringing. Fortunately, there is no immediate pressure to make money now.
“A lot of kids like me come from a deficiency, we try to strive to make life for ourselves and our families,” Cockburn explained. “Being able to use NIL now has given me a chance to relax and make a firmer decision instead of rushing just because we want to get to that level and start making money. It gives us a chance to weigh our options and go back to advanced school in our academics and try to improve while making money. This definitely had a role. Big in my decision. Just taking it day in and day out to make sure I’m making the right decision while making sure we know the pros and cons of coming back and leaving.”
Cockburn is from a large family in Jamaica. His mother made the difficult decision to move to New York City without her family when Kofi was 10 to earn more money.
“We knew what it was like, it was definitely hard watching her leave and get away from here all this time. It was really tough but we got through it together,” Cockburn said.
The experience of seeing his mother leave and eventually come to New York himself without the language skills affected the planet immediately. He yearns to be known for more than being a basketball player of his size and color.
“Black athletes are just athletes, or are seen as mere entertainment,” Cockburn explained. “This is a huge stereotype, especially in America where if you are an athlete and you are black, people will see you that way. Someone like me, for example, had a great football career but if you really know me, you know that I am more than just a great athlete. I have Great mind. I really inspire people back home no matter where I’m sporting. People look up to me because I’ve overcome things no one thought I could.”
When you see Cockburn out of competition, there’s a good chance he’ll have a smile on his face. His simple demeanor can be traced back to his Jamaican roots. He was almost inclined to relax and chill, let’s hang out a lot when he was young with his other friends of 11 who were partying adults.
“I’d see her a lot and I’m envious of them,” Cockburn recalls. “I wanted to get out there and do all this stuff, but my brother made sure to keep me in line, and made sure I kept my head straight.”
The work ethic that Coburn’s brother helped instill in him put Cockburn on the edge of a professional career that was honed for nearly a decade. Most importantly for Cockburn, he will strive to make a difference in the world on and off the field. It is impossible to miss his heart.
“I try to put a smile on my face, I try to create that good energy, that good environment in which people are happy,” Cockburn explained. “I think you bring out the best in people because they see it and want to be that person that they see. It’s magnetic. Changing that stereotype makes people know that we’re not just athletes, but we’re also human with off-court goals. We have feelings, we love like everyone else.” We have feelings. My ultimate achievement is to change lives and inspire people of my country in particular.”
The NBA’s Cockburn and Reclaiming Dreams should make us all smile.
Kofi Cockburn works with Dove Men + Care and theirs Outside the court of heroes A campaign to highlight the impact of current and former basketball players off the court.
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