Since the NBA’s inaugural season in 1946-47, few British-developed players have made a name for themselves in the ever-competitive sport. Although standout representatives from the United Kingdom have been rare, Luol Deng is considered by many to be Britain’s most successful NBA participant. The South Sudanese-British small forward is a two-time NBA All-Star and an NBA Sportsmanship Award winner. However, his legacy is now under threat from London-born OG Anunoby. So, can the 23-year surpass Deng and become Britain’s best-ever NBA representative?
British NBA Imports are Few and Far Between
It’s no secret that few basketball players from the United Kingdom have made a name for themselves in the NBA. Over the years, a handful have been successful in showcasing their talents, including Deng. As per Sportsbyte Sunderland, the six-foot-nine forward was second only to Lebron James as the most promising high school player of the era. Although the British-developed player didn’t win any championships, he did play for a host of iconic teams, including spending a decade with the Chicago Bulls. In total, Deng played 902 NBA during his 14-year career, which speaks volumes about his on-court ability.
At the end of his playing career, Deng had a points-per-game total of 14.8. Furthermore, his most prolific campaign came in his final season with the Chicago Bulls, as he averaged 19.0 points per game, according to his profile at the official NBA website. After ten years with the Bulls, the six-foot-nine forward moved to Miami heat before putting pen to paper on a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016. After the 36-year-old’s departure, the Lakers won the championship in 2020, and they are priced at +475 in NBA betting on Bet365 to repeat the feat in 2021, as of May 18th.
Scope to Become Britain’s Best NBA Representative
Aside from Deng, the likes of James Donaldson also took the NBA by storm, but the Heacham-born center couldn’t surpass the South Sudanese-British forward’s legacy. Now, however, there’s a legitimate contender for the crown. Anunoby was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the 2017 Draft, and he’s hit the ground running with the Eastern Division team. Since the 2017-18 season and at the time of writing, the six-foot-eight small forward has played 253 games for the Raptors. In 2020-21, the London-born player averages 15.9 points per game, which is the best of his career, as per ESPN.
Unlike Deng, Anunoby is an NBA champion. The Toronto Raptors won the Finals in 2019, beating the Golden State Warriors 4-2. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old missed the team’s playoff run through injury. Despite that, the triumph is part of his record, and it gives him the foundations to surpass Deng’s legacy. In December 2020, Anunoby signed a new four-year deal with the Raptors and this a testament to how highly the team’s hierarchy rates the small forward.
Legacy is at Stake
There are no guarantees that Anunoby will surpass Deng’s legacy, but it’s not out of the question. Irrespective of what the remainder of the 23-year-old’s NBA run has in store, his emergence showcases that British representatives can enjoy a career at the top level in basketball. In the long term, this will unquestionably benefit the NBA if further prospects break through.
