Deng risks his career - and represents the best Duke has to offer

[Seattledukie]

Great article on how Loul Deng is risking everything to pay a debt to England for all they did for his family:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--luol-deng-shouldn-t-play-in-these-olympics--but-wants-to-pay-his-debt-to-britain.html

[CDu]

Great article on how Loul Deng is risking everything to pay a debt to England for all they did for his family:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--luol-deng-shouldn-t-play-in-these-olympics--but-wants-to-pay-his-debt-to-britain.html

To be fair, I don't think his career is at much risk here (any moreso than anyone else's career is at risk by competing in the Olympics). Deng played through most of last season with the same injuries. And he's played with the same wrist injury before. Earlier this season, he said basically "I know how to play with it, and getting surgery means I can't play. So I'm going to play." It won't be fixed without surgery, but it also won't prevent him from playing well either. The 5 games during which he's at risk (GBR is not going to advance) is not that high a risk.

The Bulls' position isn't necessarily that he needs surgery right now. As noted, he was able to play (effectively) with the same injury throughout last season. They just feel that, if he's going to elect to have surgery (and that's the only way for the injury to fully heal), they would have preferred he do it right after the season so that he could be ready for the season. By waiting until after the Olympics, he's likely to miss all of training camp and some of the regular season as well. And that's why the Bulls are angry. He's choosing to do something that will directly affect their franchise in a negative way by putting country before company.

Deng is certainly an admirable representative of Duke. It's wonderful that Deng is showing loyalty to the nation that took him in. But I think it's overstating things to say he's risking his career to do it.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Great article on how Loul Deng is risking everything to pay a debt to England for all they did for his family:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--luol-deng-shouldn-t-play-in-these-olympics--but-wants-to-pay-his-debt-to-britain.html

Really is such a beautiful story. Deng has been the player that I follow the most in the NBA (partially because of Duke, partially because I lived in the UK for the last 4 years, partially because there isn't a better person in the NBA). This "I owe it to my country" is a concept that is frequently lost among athletes. I'm glad Deng represents the minority.

[The Gordog]

To be fair, I don't think his career is at much risk here (any moreso than anyone else's career is at risk by competing in the Olympics). Deng played through most of last season with the same injuries. And he's played with the same wrist injury before. Earlier this season, he said basically "I know how to play with it, and getting surgery means I can't play. So I'm going to play." It won't be fixed without surgery, but it also won't prevent him from playing well either. The 5 games during which he's at risk (GBR is not going to advance) is not that high a risk.

The Bulls' position isn't necessarily that he needs surgery right now. As noted, he was able to play (effectively) with the same injury throughout last season. They just feel that, if he's going to elect to have surgery (and that's the only way for the injury to fully heal), they would have preferred he do it right after the season so that he could be ready for the season. By waiting until after the Olympics, he's likely to miss all of training camp and some of the regular season as well. And that's why the Bulls are angry. He's choosing to do something that will directly affect their franchise in a negative way by putting country before company.

Deng is certainly an admirable representative of Duke. It's wonderful that Deng is showing loyalty to the nation that took him in. But I think it's overstating things to say he's risking his career to do it.

Risking ending it? No. Risking damaging it? Yes. Fact is, his 'value' in the eyes of the bean counters will decline due to his lack of loyalty to the corporation.