Luol Deng, whose NBA career spanned from 2004 to 2019, is running for the South Sudan Basketball Association presidency, according to a published report.
The website hotinjuba.com this week published a short article with that assertion.
An official announcement has yet to be made.
This summer, Deng worked at his basketball camp in Juba, South Sudan, perhaps laying the groundwork for a presidential bid.
The South Sudan national team has been recognized by FIBA since December 2013. South Sudan became an indepedent nation in 2011.
Deng was born in Wau, which is now part of South Sudan. His family left Sudan during the nation’s long civil war when he was a child. He grew up in the U.K.
He honed his promising basketball skills in the United States as a teenager at Blair Academy in New Jersey.
As a result, he put himself in the spotlight and was recruited by powerhouse Duke University, where he played under legendary mentor Mike Krzyzewski for one season (2003-04).
Luol Deng was the No. 7 pick (Chicago Bulls) in the 2004 NBA Draft. His career included stints with the Bulls (2004-14), Cleveland Cavaliers (2014), Miami Heat (2014-16), Los Angeles Lakers (2016-18) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2018-18).
But the two-time All-Star retired as a Bull after signing a one-day contract in October.
A successful businessman and investor in hotels, resorts and other real estate, Deng has amassed an estimated wealth of $125 million, according to Forbes.
