South Sudan Basketball Federation president Luol Deng has addressed the offensive comments made about the South Sudan Olympic team, particularly calling out Paul Pierce and Gilbert Arenas.
“I’m not upset or angry about the ignorant remarks from my former colleagues; I was disappointed to hear them coming from individuals I’ve always respected,” Deng shared on Instagram. “Paul Pierce’s comments showed a lack of research and misinformation, but he later used it as a learning opportunity to spread positivity after being informed. I appreciate Paul Pierce for apologizing.”
“I grew up hearing similar comments, which motivated me to change the narrative. Africans now show more solidarity and support for each other than ever before. Instead of getting upset and reacting, we should focus on educating and sharing stories to bring all Black people closer,” Deng continued.
“Gilbert’s comments were more disrespectful and hurtful, but personally, I don’t let them affect me. Being African is something special. However, for young African and African American kids who look up to Gilbert, these comments can impact their self-perception and how others view Africans. It’s important to embrace our history and not shy away from it,” Deng added.
“I want to thank both Pierce and Arenas for giving us the chance to respond and educate. We’ve worked hard to be where we are, and we shouldn’t let negative comments take away from that. Let’s use this as an opportunity to educate and spread love rather than hate,” Deng emphasized.
“If we recognize the greatness from our roots, we would be less likely to disrespect ourselves,” Deng concluded.
During an episode of Undisputed before the South Sudan v USA exhibition game, Pierce ridiculed the African team, suggesting they might not have players over 6’3″. Arenas went further with extremely offensive comments about the South Sudan team and Joel Embiid.
