It's not easy not to play.
Luol Deng
Men from my tribe in Sudan - the Dinka tribe - are very tall, so you could say I was born to play basketball.
I think everyone in this league should aim to become good enough to shoot for the MVP. Not everyone can do it, but you've gotta try your hardest.
No matter what I do for the rest of my career, I think I'll always be a Bulls guy.
I try to let my highs not be too high and my lows not be too low. And I do that just because I try to control my emotions.
I remember when we were in Egypt as refugees. It was tough, but there was always hope - hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel.
When I look back at 19, coming here to Chicago, some of the things that were said, some of the stuff that you deal with - at 19 years old, it's a lot of pressure.
What I try to do is to look ahead of me and not look back. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing, I'm just focused on trying to get better.
If someone shows me love, I always want to double that love.
I've seen a lot and experienced so many different cultures, and that's helped me a lot in my career and helped me mature as a person.
South Sudan is my home, and I am humbled to be in a position to help those suffering from lack of access to basic needs, especially the children facing severe acute malnutrition.
I play the same, contract or no contract, because trade-talk is part of basketball.
I always said if I didn't focus on basketball, then it would have been football. I was pretty good and was asked to go to England trials.
A lot of basketball players have tendinitis. It's known as jumper's knee, and it just comes from all the pounding our knees take.
There are so many kids in Africa who adore these athletes in the NBA and see themselves in them, even though we're so far removed.
Throughout my career, I've never really been a guy who created drama or wanted to deal with drama.
Even in high school, when I had injuries, I tried to play with them. When I shouldn't have worked out, I worked out.
In the States, I get recognised all the time. I met a fan once who had a tattoo of my face on his arm. I can see how some people get carried away with it, but I don't have trouble staying grounded.
I was very skilled at football at a young age in Egypt. I never played with a real ball. We used rolled-up socks or a balloon with a towel ducktaped to it, and we played on concrete in bare feet.
When people ask me where I'm from, I say I'm from the Sudan. But when they ask what my hometown is, I say London. It's where I lived, and it's where my whole family lived.
I was always tall, but I had a real growth spurt between 12 and 14.
I've always been low key, do my thing, do what I got to do, and get on with it.
I am extremely proud to be a part of the NBA's first game in Africa. Coming from South Sudan and having participated in the Basketball without Borders Africa camps in Johannesburg previously, I am truly honored to be part of this historic event.
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.
When I go out there, I try to do everything I can to win. That doesn't mean I have to score more than the other team; it may mean stopping the other team.
You always - as a basketball player, as a competitor - that's where you speak most: on the court.
A lot of people expect a lot of things out of me.
I don't like sneaking up on people.
I only lived in Sudan until I was four years, so I cannot really relate to that. It is just a different lifestyle.
When you have a new coach, a couple new guys, and a young team, the frustrating part throughout the year is the up and down.
Manute Bol taught my family the game of basketball.
My whole life, every time I've been down, I've found a way to turn it around.
I don't play for recognition.
At 13, I concentrated on my school work and playing sports, which, to this day, is something I still believe is very, very important.
I know how to put the ball in the hoop.
Here in the U.K., I want basketball to get better. I want the kids to have more playgrounds. I want the kids to have more attention. I want basketball to be on TV more often. But I really don't care if I walk down the street and somebody recognises me or not.
I wouldn't like to be invisible for a day. But if I was... I'd probably be up to no good.
I never knew a regular childhood, but I was always surrounded by love.
When I started playing basketball, I hated it because football had always been my sport.
There are a lot of people in Chicago that I miss. I was there one year out of high school. So I basically grew up there.
Because I was the youngest boy, I was always my mom's favorite - and my brothers were always tough on me.
I think it's always going to be strange for me facing the Bulls.
It's no good playing through pain if you're damaging yourself.
I am big fan of Arsenal.
It is just a great honour to be representing Great Britain.
We talk about players going broke, but we don't talk about why that is happening.
Chicago is where I have always wanted to be.
I'm not the same person on the court. I'm different when I'm off the court. Off the court, I don't need to be aggressive or anything.
I think that my offense comes from what I do with my defense.
Playing defense hard gets me going offensively.
