A lot of people expect a lot of things out of me.
— Luol Deng
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.
It's not easy not to play.
Because I was the youngest boy, I was always my mom's favorite - and my brothers were always tough on me.
The way I play, I'm always moving. I like to move the ball.
Even in high school, when I had injuries, I tried to play with them. When I shouldn't have worked out, I worked out.
I believe leaving school early was the right decision to make, but at first, I wasn't sure. But my coaches told me to follow my heart and there wouldn't be any regrets, and that's exactly what I did.
There are a lot of people you never hear about that helped me a lot with my career and helped me become who I am that I've known for a long time and I still stay in touch with.
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.
The best thing I learned from Manute was to be selfless. He was always about his people. He was about helping others.
I don't mind someone saying I'm not good enough. It hurts more when someone says you're faking an injury.
My whole life, every time I've been down, I've found a way to turn it around.
I've always wanted to have some sort of academy or program that links education and basketball.
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.
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.
We talk about players going broke, but we don't talk about why that is happening.
I only lived in Sudan until I was four years, so I cannot really relate to that. It is just a different lifestyle.
A lot of freshmen will come in and say they can do what Carmelo did, but not everybody is Carmelo Anthony. He was a special player. Syracuse was a great fit for him.
At some point, when I was in Chicago for maybe eight years, I never thought I would leave Chicago. I wish it would have happened that way, but everything happens for a reason.
I was just a lanky kid, just tall.
Manute Bol taught my family the game of basketball.
I've been in situations in my career where I've had slumps and struggles. I always stick with it and just keep working.
London is where I grew up, and I know it better than any other place.
I've always been low key, do my thing, do what I got to do, and get on with it.
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.
We had a court, and my brothers would play outdoors, with rims barely hanging in there.
For me, I had a close family. There were others like me who were going through a lot of rough times, so we always came together. It was understood that we would overcome hate, as long as you surround yourself with love and what's real.
Sometimes people take struggling on the court to an extreme level.
Every single team that I've played for, every single person would tell you that I've given it everything every single day.
Earlier in my career, a lot of guys wanted individual numbers and to do well individually.
Playing defense hard gets me going offensively.
Chicago is where I have always wanted to be.
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 am big fan of Arsenal.
You always - as a basketball player, as a competitor - that's where you speak most: on the court.
No matter what I do for the rest of my career, I think I'll always be a Bulls guy.
I really didn't want to play basketball for the longest time, but I just wouldn't stop growing. But I always wanted to be a professional soccer player.
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.
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.
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 think it's always going to be strange for me facing the Bulls.
I'm a big believer in that I'm here for a reason, and I don't want to forget where I'm from.
I get up early and go to bed early.
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.
Throughout my career, I've never really been a guy who created drama or wanted to deal with drama.
I know I make a lot of money, but for me - I came from nothing, so it's always been about the love of the game.
I always believe every team that wins has to go through some things.
I think that my offense comes from what I do with my defense.
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.
It is just a great honour to be representing Great Britain.
