Can basketball heal South Sudan?
Luol Deng, a star in America, has high hopes for the game
THE PEOPLE of South Sudan are among the tallest in the world. That helps explain why several of them have had stellar careers playing basketball abroad. One is Luol Deng, a former all-star in America’s National Basketball Association (NBA). Mr Deng, who retired in 2019 after 15 seasons on the hardwood for the Chicago Bulls and other teams in the NBA, took over as coach of South Sudan’s national team in November. Now he is using the sport to try to mend his war-torn motherland.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A shot at peace”
From the January 9th 2021 edition
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