Luol Deng, a fifteen-year NBA veteran who was twice named an all-star, has retired. Prior to his retirement Deng signed a contract that would ensure he retired as a member of the Chicago Bulls, the team he was drafted to as a 19-year-old in 2004 and appeared for until 2014.
Bulls President and COO Michael Reinsdorf gave the following statement regarding Deng’s retirement, per Bulls.com:
“We’re very fortunate and humbled that Luol has chosen to retire as a Chicago Bull. He was a role model on and off the court during his nine-plus years in Chicago, and he gave everything he had to help us win. I want to thank Luol for not only what he accomplished on the court for the team, but also for the leadership he demonstrated through his philanthropic efforts.”
Gaining a reputation as a ferocious competitor on both ends of the court, Luol Deng made the All-Defensive Second Team in 2011, averaged a career-high 19 points per game in the 2013-14 season, and appeared as an NBA All-Star in 2011 and 2012. Deng most recently featured for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 7.1 points per game last season.
Talked to Kirk Hinrich about Luol Deng: “He was a great teammate on the court. But I look back and think about all the things he did in the community. As time goes on and you mature, you realize how important that was. He had a huge impact on and off the floor.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 17, 2019
Luol Deng is all love and always has been. Thank you for everything, Luol.
His words for #BullsNation: pic.twitter.com/cVwWzIIiXE
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2019
