Luol Deng To Launch Uk Basketball Academy

Team GB and Cleveland Cavaliers’, Luol Deng, will launch his first-ever basketball academy in his adopted hometown of Brixton, South London this summer.

In partnership with Nike, Evelyn Grace Academy and Reforming Black Britain, DENG Academy aims to feed players into Brixton Topcats Basketball Club at the elite and grassroots development level.

Deng, who competed for Team GB in the London 2012 Olympics, campaigned to stop British Basketball funds being cut ahead of the next Olympics. The decision was overturned at the appeal stage but funding has subsequently been withdrawn. Deng said this is all the more reason to encourage young people to take up the sport.

Deng commented: ‘UK Sport deciding to cut British Basketball funding is hard to take, as I felt that we have all done so much to grow the sport and the national team. It’s just something you have to fight through. Growing basketball in the UK has always been important to me and it’s something I will continue to do through my foundation.’

‘The game has given me so much and I want it to benefit kids and give them the same opportunities that I had. This is why launching my first-ever academy in my hometown of Brixton is a huge deal for me. Despite the bad news of the funding cuts, we still have to remain positive and try to keep pushing the sport forward in the UK.’

DENG Academy will have a structured player pathway to ensure athletes progress through competing in central venue and national leagues, as well as advance to Luol Deng Foundation summer projects, such as DENG Camp and DENG Girls. DENG Academy will also have a scholarship fund to place the most talented players in US high schools.

Teaming up with Reforming Black Britain, DENG Academy will run a mentoring programme. Reforming Black Britain founder, Jason Marriner explained: ‘Adding a customised mentoring scheme to the DENG Academy has been amazing. We want to ensure that these young people learn key life skills and values in addition to the basketball provision. Using mentors in the school to help guide these younger kids is vital for growth within the entire school and community, as well as providing outlets for them off the basketball court. We are excited to be apart of such a great project and look forward in helping to grow the DENG Academy.’