HoopsHype.com Rumors

He smiles when asked whether his humble background sits easily with the multi-million dollar NBA life - his contract with Chicago is worth US$45m. "I don't go out of my way and get things that I don't need," he says. "I am not a flashy guy. I don't get things just so people can see that I have it. I don't do any of that." BBC

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Great Britain, Olympics 

But the NBA is full of flashy people; how does that sit with him? "I respect that, I love flashy people!" he says, laughing. "It's who you are, it's your style. I don't blame anyone for being flashy, or not being flashy. You are who you are. I've got a lot of friends who are flashy and I love them." BBC

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Great Britain, Olympics 

Jorge Sierra: British NT manager angrily told HoopsHype this wasn't true. http://bit.ly/vRPjbQ Said Deng was just stretching and was not in pain. Not what I saw. Deng finished practice early, put his hand on his back for a moment, had a pained look in his face and lied on the floor a few minutes while getting treatment. Then he walked out of practice OK. Deng played 33 minutes in a loss vs. Spain. He shot 3 of 14 from the field. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Injuries, Great Britain 

How's Luol Deng doing? Joel Freeland: A player like him, he doesn't need to be at 100 percent to play great. He's a player that can bring different things to the court all the time. With his experience, he's always helping other people. He does all the things we need him to do. Even if he's not at 100 percent physically, it doesn't show. When he's playing you can't tell if he's not 100 percent. HoopsHype

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Injuries, Great Britain, Joel Freeland 

Jose Manuel Calderon: First win va Great Britain. Was our first game and wasn't pretty. Thanks Valldolid! The atmosphere was great! Twitter

Toronto Raptors, Jose Manuel Calderon, Spain, Great Britain 

The Dominican Republic should have had the best player on the floor with the Hawks Al Horford, but he had just 12 points as foul trouble kept him in check. So the field for London is set. The 12-team tournament starts July 29 with play in the two six-team groups (four from each advance to the knockout tournament). The groups are: Group A: United States, France, Argentina, Tunisia, Lithuania, Nigeria. Group B: Great Britain, Spain, Brazil, Australia, China, Russia. NBCSports.com

Atlanta Hawks, Al Horford, Great Britain, Olympics, Dominican Republic 

Jorge Sierra: At Britain's practice. Luol Deng on the floor getting treatment while his teammates go through drills. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Injuries, Great Britain 

Jorge Sierra: Deng seemed to be in some pain and had to stop a few minutes ago. Think it's the back. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Injuries, Great Britain 

Jorge Sierra: For the record, Deng was moving well when he walked out of practice. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Injuries, Great Britain 

Marc Gasol: On our way to Valladolid for the first exhibition game vs Great Britain! How is my Memphis people doing?! I will miss @Rudy Gay in London! Twitter

Memphis Grizzlies, Rudy Gay, Spain, Great Britain, Marc Gasol 

The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced the 12 players that head coach Chris Finch has chosen to represent Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The selected athletes are: GB Basketball Olympic Roster: Kieron Archara, (Manresa, Spain) Robert Archibald (Zaragoza, Spain) Eric Boateng (Peristeri, Greece) Dan Clark (Estudiantes, Spain) Luol Deng (Chicago Bulls, USA) HoopsFix.com.com

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Great Britain, Olympics 

The London-born shooting guard – who has just been traded from Detroit Pistons to the Charlotte Bobcats – was due to finally commit to Great Britain in time for London 2012 after a protracted four-year effort to get him on board. But after failing to show at the team’s training camp which closed in Houston on Saturday night, coach Chris Finch has been forced to name a squad without him. GB Basketball performance director Chris Spice said: “We kept the door open as long as we could. “We had been in correspondence with his people, and one day he was in, one day he was out. He felt he couldn’t commit. We are where we are and now we focus on the guys we have here.” Manchester Evening News

Detroit Pistons, Ben Gordon, Great Britain, Chris Finch 

Ben Gordon will not play for Great Britain at the London Olympics later this month after he failed to report to their Houston training camp by the June 30 deadline. TalkBasket

Ben Gordon, Great Britain, Olympics 

Coach Chris Finch included Gordon in the provisional squad in April and was hopeful he would arrive at the Houston Rockets practice facilities for camp. He never showed. TalkBasket

Ben Gordon, Great Britain, Olympics, Chris Finch 

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Friday he does not think Luol Deng will need surgery on his left wrist, and he expects the All-Star forward to be in camp on time after he represents the United Kingdom in the Olympics. "He's feeling a lot better; his wrist is a lot stronger," Thibodeau said on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "I think it's going to work out well." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Injuries, Great Britain, Olympics 

Bulls general manager Gar Forman was also optimistic on Deng's prognosis for next season. "That's the hope (that surgery is unnecessary)," Forman told ESPN 1000's "The Carmen, Jurko and Harry Show" on Firday. "His wrist, he's continued to do a lot of rehab on it. And he's been working out on a regular basis. His wrist has gotten stronger and is feeling better. I know that's what Luol hopes for and that's what we hope for. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Injuries, Great Britain, Olympics 

Mark Woods: Pops Mensah-Bonsu will likely play in GB's friendlies against Lithuania and Russia this week. Only Deng out. Twitter

Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Great Britain, Olympics 

KC Johnson: As expected, Luol Deng sits out Great Britain's narrow two-point exhibition loss to Lithuania in Houston. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng, Great Britain 

Scott Howard-Cooper: Lithuania 63, Britain 61 in Houston. Valanciunas 12 points, 8 rebs, 3 blocks, 17 minutes. Freeland 10 points, 3 rebs, 5 fouls, 20 mins. Twitter

Great Britain, Lithuania, Jonas Valanciunas, Joel Freeland 

Great Britain coach Chris Finch won't have Byron Mullens at the London Games and is still waiting to discover if another NBA player, Ben Gordon, will play. Mullens, an American, qualified for and received his British passport earlier this year because his mother hails from England. He has never feature with Britain in an international competition. The same can be said for Gordon, who was born in London but grew up in the United States. FIBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Ben Gordon, Great Britain, Olympics, BJ Mullens, Chris Finch