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Luol Deng returns to Chicago

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Jan 25

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Luol Deng was back.

But just for a day.

One of five players in Bulls franchise history to have played during 10 seasons with the team and sixth alltime in games played as a Bull, Deng was back in the United Center for the first time Sunday with his Miami Heat.

It was a trip down Deng’s memory lane when the Bulls did a scoreboard video tribute in a first quarter time out and for Deng, though he’s played against his teammates both in Cleveland and Miami last year, Sunday’s national ABC-TV game was his first visit back to where started his NBA career as a teenager in 2004.

Deng went to grow into a two-time NBA All-Star, an all-defensive player, a recipient of the league’s sportsmanship award and one of the most highly regarded people/players in the NBA.

“We looked at (him) more a player we tried to get for 10 years, knowing we’d never have a chance to get him, but the DNA and the fabric of what he brings to the table we felt would fit with our culture, with our organization, and he’s been every bit a part of what we anticipated,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. “That’s why we recruited him so hard when we had the opportunity. During the playoffs, we had great respect for him because of those playoff battles. But it was his body of work, his professionalism on and off the court; he does so many little things, intangibles that help you win that don’t even show up in the box score. He’s our glue guy. For 10 years we tried to get Shane Battier and we tried to get Lu Deng never thinking we’d have a chance at either one of them. We felt it would be a great fit. And that’s what it’s been so far.”

And for Deng after an uncomfortable parting from the Bulls last January, an uneasy few months with a dysfunctional Cleveland team and then a free agency recruitment in which he was involved in controversy over comments by Atlanta management, he’s settled in with the Heat while enjoying his first return to Chicago.

“I appreciate it,” Deng said about the video which drew an enthusiastic response from the home crowd. “It definitely (was) a great 10 years here; it’s an honor that they’re doing something like that.

“Basketball is just something I happen to be good at. I never carried myself as a basketball player,” Deng said before the game. “It’s always the relationship that I have with people, my personality. I always said that the best gift you can give back to your parents is how you carry yourself. I’ve always treated people with class. And I’m just glad that I made a lot of friends here. So it’s really good to come back because when I left I didn’t see anybody. Seeing everybody is kind of exciting. It seems like it was yesterday to be honest. So it’s cool.

“It’s so many (memories),” Deng said. “Going to the Eastern Conference finals was one. Overcoming a lot of injuries and being an All-Star is another. The years with Thibs here and I will never forget the years with (Scott) Skiles. It was a lot of growing up. As you get older, you really appreciate—-even though it was tough—everything that was done for you. It kind of shapes you to who you are and the player that you become. A lot of young kids don’t really recognize it. But the atmosphere you come into in the league really shapes your game a lot.

“It was tough (leaving the Bulls),” Deng admitted. “It was just quick. I had to change who I am in terms of what I did every day. I think here I came in and focused on myself. It was easy with the guys because I had been here for so long. I did what I had to do on the court. I came in, shot. When I got to Cleveland, I was asked to be more vocal and lead the young guys. It’s not something that I don’t want to do. It just happened so quick overnight that it took time. The difference is being in Miami, I worked out with the guys in preseason and training camp. So by the time the season started, I got used to the guys. I had a place to live. In Cleveland, I was looking for a place to live and trying to learn the plays and the whole shock of a new uniform for the first time. It was definitely difficult. You get caught up in so much other stuff that I didn’t take care of my body as well as I wanted to and I definitely didn’t feel 100 percent.”

But he’s back and continuing to enjoy the ride.

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