Lakers News: Ill-Fated Ex-LA Player Bankrolling Native Team for Olympics

The former All-Star is doing big things on the other side of retirement.

Dec 29, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut (6), Los Angeles Lakers center Timofey Mozgov (20) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Luol Deng (9) battle for a rebound in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mavericks won 101-89. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Former NBA small forward Luol Deng is not fondly recalled by Los Angeles Lakers fans, as his body had totally broken down by the time he inked a lucrative four-year, $72 million contract with the team in the summer of 2024. But, beyond being a two-time All-Star and a one-time All-Defensive Second Teamer while with the Chicago Bulls, the 39-year-old has embraced a post-playing career as a key advocate for his native South Sudan's basketball program.

Deng has been the president of South Sudan's basketball federation for the past four years. He hired head coach Royal Ivey in 2021. During the regular season, Ivey serves as an assistant coach under Ime Udoka on the Houston Rockets.

Per Donatas Urbonas of Basket News, Ivey offered up a stunning revelation about the 6-foot-9 swingman: he's bankrolling the team.

"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 credited a former 15-year NBA veteran, Luol Deng, who inspired the growth of South Sudan basketball by organizing local talent camps and funding basketball program.

The South Sudan national team has already repaid his investment, having won its first game in Olympic competition this summer against Team Puerto Rico on Sunday, while also nearly beating the loaded Team USA (which boasts two current Lakers, All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis) in an exhibition match.

"We don't have the pleasure of having a gymnasium, dorms, and other facilities," Ivey said. "We had a tough training camp in Rwanda, then traveled to Spain, moving around a lot, taking long flights, and giving up exit rows to my seven-footers. These are the things people don't talk about. They don't see us getting delayed for seven hours in the airport while we're in Chad."

When Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka took over the Lakers' front office in February of 2017, the team benched Deng for the season's final 22 contests, to prioritize the growth of then-rookie small forward Brandon Ingram. Deng played just one more game, during the 2017-18 season. He was waived and stretched by the Lakers the next summer.

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