15-Year NBA Veteran Gives Unbelievable Gift to Olympic Team

This NBA All-Star performed an amazing act of charity.

Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard Lebron James (6) and South Sudan small forward Nuni Omot (5) fight for a loose ball in the fourth quarter during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Luol Deng is known for being a 15-year NBA veteran, 2x NBA All-Star, and a fan-favorite Chicago Bulls player in recent history. However, it's what he's recently done off the court that fans might remember him most for.

The South Sudan Olympic basketball team took the world by storm when they won their first game in Olympic history against Puerto Rico. None of it would have been done without the charity and perseverance of Luol Deng, who is the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation.

The United Nations listed South Sudan as one of the least developed countries in the world. So, Luol Deng took it upon himself to fund their Olympic team out of his own pocket. In an interview with Basket News, South Sudan coach Royal Ivey revealed Deng's financial contributions to the team.

Chicago Bulls small forward Luol Deng (9) reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: / Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports

"Luol Deng has been funding this thing for four years out of his own pocket. He pays for gyms, hotels, plane tickets—everything. Kudos to Luol and the staff. We wouldn't have been able to put this team together without them," Ivey said.

While American fans may be used to gold medals, it's unheard of for one of the least developed nations in the world to earn their first Olympic win ever in basketball. It's an amazing feat that Luol Deng should be immensely proud of. During an interview with CNN, Deng revealed how he composed his Olympic team.

“We didn’t just randomly put a team together. I’ve known a lot of these players since they were so young, and I’ve kept up with a lot of other players that I didn’t know, but they were on my radar,” Deng told CNN. “And before I took over the president of the federation, I did imagine, ‘What if those guys committed to play for our nation?’ And this is the result because it’s all come together."

These types of moments and wins only happen once-in-a-lifetime for a nation. South Sudan may not be the most talented basketball team in the Olympics, but they arguably have the most heart.