Blake Griffin #32 of the Los Angeles Clippers battles for position against Carlos Boozer #5 and Luol Deng #9 of the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center on December 30, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The Bulls won 114-101. Photo | AFP

Chicago Bulls basketball team player Luol Deng (R) speaks with a young Sudanese basketball player at a local school in Juba, a day before South Sudan seceded from the north. AFP PHOTO/ROBERTO SCHMIDT

Elton Brand #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers tries to block a shot by Luol Deng #9 of the Chicago Bulls in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on May 4, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo | AFP

Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard (C) drives to the basket between Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (L) and forward Luol Deng in the first quarter of their NBA basketball game in Chicago November 13, 2008. Photo | FILE

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta with visiting professional basketball player, Luol Deng, at the minister's Nairobi residence on July 5, 2011. South Sudan’s greatest sporting export, Deng, who plies his trade in the NBA League with the Chicago Bulls, is in Kenya en route to South Sudan to celebrate his country’s independence day this weekend. Photo/NATION CORRESPONDENT

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta with visiting professional basketball player, Luol Deng, at the minister's Nairobi residence on July 5, 2011. Photo/NATION CORRESPONDENT