Luol Deng
Luol Deng (* April 16, 1985 in Wau, Sudan, South Sudan today ) is a südsudanesisch - British professional basketball player. He is 2.06 m tall and plays as a small forward since 2014 for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA.
Career
Youth
Deng comes from the Dinka, an ethnic group that has an unusual number of tall relatives. As a child he fled with his family before the Civil War to Egypt. There he met the former NBA player Manute Bol, who also belonged to the Dinka for the first time. This brought Deng's brothers at the basketball games, which later passed on this to Luol.
In 1993 his family moved to London, where he was the outstanding young basketball players of the United Kingdom was fast. At age 16, he then went to New Jersey in the United States. After his high school graduation, he played college basketball for the Duke University.
NBA
When NBA Draft 2004, he was eventually selected by the Phoenix Suns in 7th place, but immediately transferred further to Chicago. Even in his first professional season, he was able to convince with his services and was duly elected in the national team of the best rookies in the league, the NBA All- Rookie First Team. The following season he already got most of the playing time of all players at the Bulls. Also in the season 06/ 07 Deng was instrumental in the resurgence of the Bulls. In addition, NBA Sportsmanship Award 2007, he was awarded for his sporting fairness. In the 2010/11 season with the Bulls, Deng reached the final series of the Eastern Conference. In 2012 he was first selected as a reserve for the NBA All-Star Game. In 2013 he was, together with teammate Joakim Noah, invited back into the All- Star Game.
After Deng refused an offer of a contract extension of the Chicago Bulls, he was beginning in January 2014 traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In return, Chicago Andrew Bynum received. In addition to Bynum, who was dismissed immediately, the Bulls received three draft picks. Chicago was thus able to save about 15 million dollars in salary and luxury taxes.
National
In October 2006, Deng received British citizenship and may therefore accumulate and among adults for the British national team, after he had already played in youth national teams for England. With that he qualified for the 2009 European Championship and the European Championship 2011.
Awards and achievements
- NBA All -Star: 2012, 2013
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2012