Luol Deng to Launch Basketball Academy in Brixton

By Sam Neter on February 20, 2014

Luol Deng has announced he will be launching a basketball academy this summer in his adopted hometown, Brixton, South London.

DENG academy will be based at Evelyn Grace Academy, and be a partnership with his Luol Deng Foundation, Nike, and Reforming Black Britain.

Taking to his Facebook page this morning to announce the news, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward and GB star directly addressed the recent UK Sport funding cuts.

“UK Sport deciding to cut British Basketball funding is hard to take, as I felt that we have all done so much to grow the sport and the national team. It’s just something you have to fight through,” he wrote.

“Growing basketball in the UK has always been important to me and it’s something I will continue to do through my foundation. The game has given me so much and I want it to benefit kids and give them the same opportunities that I had. This is why launching my first-ever academy in my hometown of Brixton is a huge deal for me. Despite the bad news of the funding cuts, we still have to remain positive and try to keep pushing the sport forward in the UK.”

DENG academy will be headed up by British basketball legend Ronnie Baker and will aim to provide athletes with both the best opportunities on and off the basketball court, and in and outside of the classroom. Part of that will be a mentoring programme provided by Reforming Black Britain.

Of course, it will be linked with Brixton Topcats Basketball Club, looking to ensure athletes progress through a structured player pathway model which will have feature central venue leagues all the way up to national leagues.

The Academy will also have a scholarship fund to place the most talented kids in US high schools to help follow in Luol’s footsteps.

“Having Luol Deng himself come into our school last year to the first meeting to discuss this project really blew me away,” said Darrel Barsby, Head of PE at Evelyn Grace Academy in a release on Luol Deng’s website.

“It showed to all of us that this was something serious to him and his Foundation. The plans with his Foundation and Reforming Black Britain have been set in place where having a professional coach in everyday helping our kids has just been amazing to see. I’m looking forward for Luol to see the project and for the official launch when he arrives this summer.”

The academy players will train over 20 hours per week outside of curriculum time, with the most talented being selected to attent national league club Brixton Topcats to receive an extra four hours per week.

To find out more check out the Deng Academy website.

Image Credit: Mansoor Ahmed/Mansoor Ahmed Photography.

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