“I have friends growing up in Egypt. I have friends in England. And they just can't believe that what I used to say, it used to be almost like a joke. I used to say I'll be in the NBA one day.”

South Sudanese-British former professional basketball player

Luol Deng is a South Sudanese-British former professional basketball player. Born in 1985, he fled South Sudan with his family as a child and later settled in the United Kingdom. He became a British citizen in 2006 and played for Great Britain. Deng was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned a place on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012. His career is best remembered for his work on the court as a versatile wing player, and for the path that took him from displacement in childhood to international basketball.