Last spring Jordan Hamm and myself brought you the incredible tale of Salpointe Catholic High School basketball star forward Majok Deng who has overcome nearly unthinkable circumstances in becoming one of the west coast’s top 2019 college prospects.
Last month Deng’s personal saga took another turn, this time for the worse, when his older brother Luol Deng was tragically shot and killed outside a Glendale apartment complex following a heated dispute.
Majok Deng will play his first basketball game since he lost his brother. Powerhouse Elite vs. 702 Attack in The Bigfoot Las Vegas Easter Classic #PutHimOnTheSneakers #RelentlessAthletes @Juke_Deng22 @PowerhouseHoops pic.twitter.com/9N7ZyEWxSm
— Justin Vargas (@jvargas4azpreps) March 29, 2018
I recently sat down exclusively with Juke to discuss the incident in-depth and the impact his brother had on himself and his family, both on and off the basketball court.
Deng, a junior who averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds in helping lead Salpointe to their second-consecutive 4A State Championship Game, has been offered by Arizona, ASU and Grand Canyon University along with over 20 other Division I programs. He is expected to make his college decision at some point this summer.Related posts:
Eric Sorenson
A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.