Luol Deng, Britain and the Nike Brainwash Effect

Yes, the two most popular words in Britain are Luol Deng.

Yes, Deng and his inactive basketball 6’7’’ frame are receiving the full intensity of the limelight. Yes, we’re talking about the broken wrist, hasn’t-played-ball-in-the-last-couple-months Deng.

There’s one reason why the man who’s been out of the news is now making some:

He’s British!

Deng’s English heritage in cooperation with Nike’s superlative global influence successfully created a worldwide buzz asquickly as five golden tickets and a bunch of candy bars.

And why not?  Deng’s on tour in his home country at the exact same time when the Olympic committee announced the 2012 Games will be in London.

Nike’s eating the whole situation up!

Then Deng confirms that he wants to play for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympic Games. The whole ordeal seems like a joke out of the funny pages.

Who knew the former Dukie and seventh pick in last year’s NBA draft was from Great Britain? Heck, who knew Britain had anational basketball quad?

If you asked me a week ago, I would’ve told you Deng was Sudanese. I knew his family moved around a lot in hisformative years in search of political asylum, including brief stints in Egypt and London. But I always assumed he and Manute Bol were brothers from a different mother, in a matter of speaking.

He later attended Blair Academy in New Jersey for four years with classmate and fellow seventh-overall pick Charlie Villanueva before heading to play college ball.

This I knew.

But hearing Deng’s comments like, “We already know what great players we have now, and who knows what young players will come through by then?” and “2012 is a great opportunity to represent,” you’d think he never left London until Draft Day 2004.

Heck, when you look into it further, Luol spent a grand total of only four years in the UK! He supposedly represented England at junior level and wants to revive his international career at the senior level.

Excuse me, what international career?