​The Chicago Bulls were scheduled to take on the Utah Jazz in Summer League action at 9 p.m. ET on Monday as fans eagerly awaited the next episode of the Caleb Wilson experience.Bulls fans have also taken note of the Summer League play of forward Noa Essengue, who was selected 12th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft but dealt with a shoulder injury last season that led to season-ending surgery.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 6-foot-8, 194-pound Essengue spoke to Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) insider K.C. Johnson prior to the game during which he opened up about the “tough” injury setback he suffered along with other topics of interest.Essengue said that the left shoulder injury that required surgery last December was one he had dealt with for roughly three years.Now, coming off of the procedure, he is excited to start over again feeling refreshed and repaired.”Before surgery, I played with that since like three years,” Essengue said.”So, I was a lot better than that. So, like, right now playing every day without pain, is like the best feeling in my life,” Essengue told Johnson.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEssengue’s dynamic playmaking, size and defensive ball skills make him an exciting system fit next to Wilson and the Bulls’ other young talents.He told Johnson that he put surgery off before last year’s draft because he didn’t know how things would turn out.He kept playing last season until he was forced to get the procedure.”You never know how you’re gonna recover from surgery,” he said.”Also this (past) year when they told me you have to get surgery, I was like, ‘I don’t want to do it, I’ll just like, keep playing until I cannot play anymore,’ and at one point I was like, ‘I can’t play anymore,'” Essengue admitted.The French forward was drafted from Ratiopharm Ulm of Germany last spring and has impressed since hitting the Summer League court this year and last year.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEssengue scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds, blocked four shots and recorded two steals in his first 2026-27 Summer League performance, which was overshadowed by the explosive 35-point debut of rookie Caleb Wilson.At just 19 years old, Essengue has a slight frame but is in good company with Wilson, who plays with the type of awareness, aggressiveness and mean streak that could rub off on him.Essengue is a player to watch as Summer League action unfolds.Expect the second-year man to compete for minutes on this year’s team while providing a lively, active body in practices and exciting glimpses of his potential along the way.