Luol Deng to Lead Britain in 2012 Olympic Games

Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng will lead Great Britain’s Olympic basketball team in the 2012 games in London.

Deng, who became the first Briton to play in an NBA All-Star Game this past February, was announced in GB’s 12-man on Thursday.

While Deng isn’t the only NBA caliber player born in the Western European country, London natives Ben Gordon and Byron Mullens — both who play for the Charlotte Bobcats — have opted out of the 2012 Olympic games.

According to the National Turk, Gordon was not considered for selection after he failed to report to the recent training camp in Houston by the deadline of 30 June and and Mullens is injured.

ESPN reports that Deng and the rest of Britain’s 2012 Olympic basketball squad plan to make their country proud.

“We have all worked very hard for this opportunity and to have the final 12 named is exciting,” said Deng, who recently turned 27. “The next few weeks will fly by and I can’t wait to step on the court with my team-mates at the Games.”

London 2012 will be the first time that Britain has been represented in men’s basketball at the Olympic Games since 1948.

The 2012 Olympics start on 27 July and Great Britain will begin their campaign against an as-yet undecided qualifier on July 29 as they bid to reach the quarter-finals.

The entire roster for the 2012 London Olympics Great Britain Basketball team can be seen below:

Kieron Achara, Robert Archibald, Eric Boateng, Dan Clark, Luol Deng, Joel Freeland, Kyle Johnson, Andrew Lawrence, Mike Lenzly, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Nate Reinking, Andrew Sullivan.