Luol Deng
Luol Deng was born on the 16th of April 1985 in Wau, Sudan. His family belonged to the Dinka ethnic group and lived through the Second Sudanese Civil War. When Luol was young, his father Aldo moved the entire family to Egypt to escape the fighting. In Egypt they met Manute Bol, a former NBA player who also came from the Dinka people. Bol taught Luol's older brother Ajou how to play basketball and mentored the younger boy as well. The family eventually received political asylum and immigrated to Brixton in South London. Deng attended St Mary's Roman Catholic High School in Croydon where he developed an interest in football while continuing to play basketball. He joined England's under-15 team and began his career at the Brixton TopCats. Jimmy Rogers coached him there and convinced him to focus on basketball instead of soccer. At age 13 he played for the England under-18 team in the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship qualifying tournament. He averaged 40 points and 14 rebounds during that event and earned the most valuable player award.
Deng injured his wrist during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats on the 21st of January 2012. An MRI revealed he tore the ligament in his left wrist but he decided to postpone surgery and play through the pain. On the 9th of February Deng was selected as a reserve for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game joining teammate Derrick Rose who was voted in as a starter. This marked the first time since 1997 that the Bulls had two All-Stars in the same game. At the end of the season Deng was selected for the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He was also selected as a reserve for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game along with Joakim Noah. During the 2012, 13 season he averaged a team-high 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds while playing 44.8 minutes per game in the playoffs. On the 7th of January 2014 the Chicago Bulls traded Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum and multiple future draft picks. At the time of the trade Deng was the fifth-longest tenured Bulls player
and fourth-leading scorer in franchise history.
On the 15th of July 2014 Deng signed with the Miami Heat after leaving Cleveland. He had his best scoring game of the 2014, 15 season on the 20th of January 2015 when he scored 29 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. On the 19th of February 2016 he scored a season-high 30 points in a 115, 111 win over the Atlanta Hawks. In the first round of the 2016 playoffs Deng set a Heat playoff debut record with 31 points on 11-for-13 shooting against the Charlotte Hornets. On the 7th of July 2016 Deng signed a four-year $72 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Magic Johnson became the Lakers' president of basketball operations in February 2017 and coach Luke Walton benched Deng to start rookie Brandon Ingram. He missed the final 22 games of the 2016, 17 season after being shut down in March. On the 1st of September 2018 he was waived by the Lakers after reaching a buyout agreement. On the 10th of September 2018 Deng signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves reuniting him with Derrick Rose and
Tom Thibodeau.
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Common questions
When and where was Luol Deng born?
Luol Deng was born on the 16th of April 1985 in Wau, Sudan. His family belonged to the Dinka ethnic group and lived through the Second Sudanese Civil War.
How did Luol Deng start playing basketball?
Luol Deng began his career at the Brixton TopCats after Jimmy Rogers coached him there and convinced him to focus on basketball instead of soccer. He joined England's under-15 team and played for the England under-18 team in the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship qualifying tournament.
What happened to Luol Deng during the 2012 NBA season?
Luol Deng injured his wrist during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats on the 21st of January 2012 but decided to postpone surgery and play through the pain. He was selected as a reserve for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game joining teammate Derrick Rose who was voted in as a starter.
Which teams did Luol Deng play for after leaving the Chicago Bulls?
On the 7th of January 2014 the Chicago Bulls traded Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum and multiple future draft picks. On the 15th of July 2014 Deng signed with the Miami Heat and later signed a four-year $72 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on the 7th of July 2016.
When did Luol Deng sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves?
Luol Deng signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves on the 10th of September 2018 reuniting him with Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau. This occurred after he was waived by the Lakers on the 1st of September 2018 following a buyout agreement.