Position: Small forward
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight: 220 lb (99.8 kg)
League: NBA
Team: Chicago Bulls
Jersey: #9
Born: April 16, 1985 Wau, Sudan
Nationality: England
College: Duke
Draft: 7th overall, 2004 Phoenix Suns
Pro career: 2004–present
Awards: 2004-05 NBA All-Rookie First Team, 2007 NBA Sportsmanship Award
A new six-year deal contract for the 23-year-old South Londoner is worth a guaranteed $71m (approx £36m), with incentives taking its possible worth to $80m (£40m). Great Britain will not be competing at the Beijing Olympics but hope to qualify for the London Games in 2012. Deng hopes to be a star at the 2012 Olympics with Team Great Britain.
Deng had rejected a five-year deal but his impressive displays in the team's miserable 2007-08 season ensured they were keen to find a way to keep him.
He represented England at under-16 and under-19 level with basketball's authorities recognising his status as a refugee, but his entry into the Great Britain set-up was delayed by his lack of a British passport, even though most of his family had them.
In 2006, lobbying by British Basketball and the London 2012 Olympic officials helped him gain the passport he needed.
Who Is Luol Deng
Luol Deng was born on April 16, 1985 in Wau, Sudan, Deng is a British professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls, where he plays small forward.
When he was young, his father Aldo, a member of the Sudanese parliament, moved the family to Egypt to escape the Second Sudanese Civil War. In Egypt, they met former NBA center Manute Bol, another Dinka, who taught Deng's older brother, Deng Deng, how to play basketball. Manute also served as a mentor for Luol himself. When they were granted political asylum, his family emigrated to South Norwood in London, England. Deng developed an interest in association football and basketball, and was invited to join England's 15-and-under teams in both sports. During this time, he began his career at Brixton Topcats. At the age of 13, he played for England's squad in the European Junior Men's Qualifying Tournament, averaging 40 points and 14 rebounds. He was named the MVP of the tournament. Next, he led England to the finals of the European Junior National Tournament, where he averaged 34 points and earned another MVP award. He counts himself a fan of Arsenal F.C.
At the age of 14, Luol moved to the United States to play basketball at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where one of his teammates was future NBA player Charlie Villanueva. Deng was also named a Tri-Captain at Blair along with Charlie Villanueva. During his senior year, Deng was considered the second most promising high school senior in America after LeBron James. He was named First Team All-America by Parade Magazine and USA Today, and was selected to play in the McDonald's High School All-America game, in which he performed at a very high standard and impressed many top NBA players. After graduation, he decided to attend Duke University. In one season at Duke, he appeared in 37 games and made 32 starts. He averaged 30.1 minutes and scored 15.1 points per game en route to a berth in the 2004 Final Four. He is only the 10th freshman in ACC history to lead all rookies in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage.
Luol Deng Citizenship
Since his birth in Sudan, Deng has lived in Egypt, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States. Deng represented England at Under-16 and Under-19 level, and is an ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games. In October 2006, Deng became a naturalized British citizen in a ceremony in Croydon and was called up to play in European competition for the Great Britain team. He made his debut against Georgia in Pau, France on August 9 2007, scoring 19 points. In his first competitive qualifying game repesenting Great Britain Deng scored (32 Pts, 16 Rbs, 11 Asts, 8 Stls & 2 Blks) against Slovakia, at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena on 21 August 2007.
FYI - Behind Sports
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