Being From A Third World Country Didn’t Stop Ex- NBA Star Luol Deng From Performing Wonders

About Ex- NBA Star Luol Deng

Former professional basketball player Luol Ajou Deng, OBE (born 16 April 1985), is a British national. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012 and was a two-time NBA All-Star. Deng, who was born in what is now South Sudan, escaped his home country as a young boy and finally settled in the UK.

Deng is a Dinka ethnicity person who was born in Wau, Sudan (now in South Sudan). In order to flee the Second Sudanese Civil War when he was a little child, his father Aldo, a member of the Sudanese parliament, relocated the family to Egypt. They met the former NBA centre Manute Bol, a fellow Dinka, in Egypt. Manute Bol coached Luol and taught Ajou Deng, Deng’s older brother, how to play basketball. His family relocated to Brixton, South London after being given political asylum.

He played for the Great Britain national team after becoming a British citizen in 2006.

Deng was chosen by the Phoenix Suns with the seventh overall choice in the first round of the 2004 NBA draught after playing collegiate basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. When he was 19 years old in 2005, he was selected for the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

The small forward split the 2013–2014 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers after being named an All-Star with the Bulls in 2012 and 2013. Deng left Cleveland after only a half-season and signed with the Miami Heat for the 2014–15 season. Before deciding to join the Lakers in 2016, he spent two seasons with the Heat. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves during his final season.

AWARDS 2013-14 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
ALL-STAR GAMES 2012 NBA
2013 NBA
ALL-LEAGUE 2004-05 All-Rookie (1st)
2011-12 All-Defensive (2nd)
AMATEUR HONORS 2002-03 McDonald’s All American
POINTS 2006-07 NBA 1540 (19th)
FIELD GOALS 2006-07 NBA 630 (11th)
FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS 2006-07 NBA 1218 (12th)
2-PT FIELD GOALS 2006-07 NBA 629 (6th)
2-PT FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS 2006-07 NBA 1211 (6th)
FIELD GOALS MISSED 2010-11 NBA 624 (20th)

The Trail Of Misery

The United Nations compiles an indicator called the Human Development Index every year that looks at a nation’s population’s income, health, and education levels. It is affected by factors such as the population’s literacy rate, infant mortality rate, life expectancy, and per capita income.

South Sudan was ranked worst in the world in the previous two reports. It competed with Burundi for the distinction of not being the world’s poorest nation the previous year.

Basketball has just brought South Sudan some good news—something it hasn’t had much of since it was founded. It is the world’s youngest country. It gained independence on July 9, 2011, six years following a conflict with the neighbouring Sudan. Yet, the division did not result in peace. A civil war between several ethnic groups in a nation with many ethnic groups started in 2013, yet it ended up lasting the longest in Africa. Although occasional skirmishes are still being reported today, it lasted till 2020.

As if the conflict wasn’t enough of a drama, the nation experienced a devastating famine in 2017. With little under 11 million residents, the combination of both has resulted in the displacement of four million people. Understanding about these societal, governmental, and economic problems gives South Sudan’s basketball milestone an even greater significance.

A slice of glory amidst poverty.

One of Africa’s five World Cup spots has gone to South Sudan. With 11 victories in 12 games, they finished first in their qualifying group, surpassing traditional African rivals like Egypt, Tunisia, and Senegal, whom they thrashed 83-75. Their ticket to the major tournament was sealed with the victory. The national basketball team, known as The Shining Stars, had recently accomplished a feat that would benefit the nation’s way of life.

NBA Star Luol Deng’s Major Role In South Sudan

Deng is currently attempting to spread peace via basketball. It appears that the team’s success has done this, since celebrations have replaced ethnic clashes. It hasn’t been simple. He is responsible for covering his own travel expenses. Moreover, a few foreign players—including Kur Nyok Kuath, who competes for Ourense in the LEB—play for teams in Australia, universities in the United States, and Europe.

The players’ physicality has contributed to the unexpected World Cup qualifying. The smallest call-up member was 1.94 metres tall, while six of the twelve were taller than 2.05 metres. One of the tallest ethnic groups in the world, the Dinka, makes up a large portion of the international population. One of them was Manute Bol. Moreover, Bol Bol, his 2.18-year-old son, is a Magic player. Wenyen Gabriel, a centre for the Lakers, is 2’06”. These are two of the players that may be a part of the South Sudanese World Cup miracle.

In an effort to introduce basketball to low income areas, he established the Luol Deng Foundation in 2005. ‘Deng Camp’ was subsequently created – an annual summer basketball camp to identify the most gifted players in the UK. The programme was then extended to South Sudan, and South Sudanese players in the USA. He has also been a consistent participant in Basketball Without Borders programmes. He has always been active in South Sudan’s rehabilitation, building houses and promoting the nation’s growth. He was honoured by the United Nations Refugee Agency in 2008 for his humanitarian efforts. Even former US president and Bulls supporter Barack Obama commended his efforts.

In a world rife with conflict,” the president said at the time, “one of our most important obligations is to look after the innocent victims – and few understand this better than Luol Deng. His dedication to bringing hope to millions is an inspiration, as is Luol’s own life itself. Both on and off the court, he sets a standard of excellence and service that all Americans can look to for inspiration.”

It is amazing to believe that Deng had the time to assist so many people when he was a professional athlete. Yet in his retirement, he had big plans for expanding his influence rather than just continuing those initiatives.

He was chosen in November 2019 to serve as the South Sudan Basketball Federation’s president for four years.

The South Sudan Youth Activity Camp was established by Deng’s organisation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in February 2022. The program’s goal is to raise community living standards in the African country by teaching basketball and significant life lessons like conflict resolution.

Deng’s services to basketball were recognised in 2021 with his appointment as an Office of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

“A refugee is a survivor. A refugee is someone that has no choice but to make a difficult decision. We all love where we come from but because of the circumstances we had to make tough decisions in order to have a better life and an opportunity.

“I’m famous because I made it in the NBA and people recognise me, but there are a lot of great people, great refugees who need to reach their capacity. And that’s the goal is to keep doing that. That’s our culture and we have to continue doing that.”

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