Luol Deng was 14 when he moved to the United States to play basketball. Born in Wau, Sudan, Deng and his family later lived in Egypt and the United Kingdom before his basketball ability opened a path to American school basketball.
He enrolled at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, where he quickly became one of the country's most highly regarded high-school players. Future NBA player Charlie Villanueva was one of his Blair teammates. Deng's success there led to a scholarship at Duke University, where he played during the 2003–04 season.
Deng was often described as a British or Sudanese basketball player because of his upbringing and international background, but he moved to the United States at 14 specifically to continue his basketball development. He later became the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft and spent much of his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls. He also represented Great Britain internationally.