Bio
Sunday Adebayo is a native of Benin City, Nigeria. As a high school student, he played for the Nigerian soccer team at the Junior World Cup. He was a goalkeeper, and aspired to play professional soccer in Europe until his conversion to playing basketball as he grew taller. Adebayo played for the Nigerian basketball team at the 1991 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.
Adebayo began his college basketball career in 1993 playing for the Three Rivers Community College under NJCAA Hall of Famer Head Coach Gene Bess and was named a first-team NJCAA All-American. He averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds during his junior college career. Adebayo still holds the Raiders record for career rebounds with 706.
He earned attention from major NCAA Division I teams throughout his junior college career, and Adebayo committed to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He averaged 10.7 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds during the 1995–96 season. Adebayo was deemed ineligible by the Razorbacks to complete the final 11 games of the season due to issues with his junior college transcript which was subsequently resolved.
Adebayo entered his name into the 1996 NBA draft, but withdrew from the draft before it took place and transferred to play for Memphis University.
When the Memphis Tigers played an away game against the Razorbacks, Adebayo received two standing ovations from Razorbacks fans at the suggestion of Razorbacks coach Nolan Richardson. Adebayo stayed in contact with his former team throughout the season in a display of loyalty that Richardson considered "unique." Adebayo then transferred back to Arkansas to finish his collegiate basketball career.
Adebayo played professionally for the Grand Rapids Hoops of the CBA, in the German Basketball Bundesliga and with the Perth Wildcats of the Australian Pro League.