(670 The Score) Former Bulls forward Luol Deng announced his retirement Thursday after 15 NBA seasons, and he did it in style.
Deng signed a contract with Chicago so that he could retire as a Bull.
"We're very fortunate and humbled that Luol has chosen to retire as a Chicago Bull," Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. "He was a role model on and off the court during his nine-plus years in Chicago, and he gave everything he had to help us win. I want to thank Luol for not only what he accomplished on the court for the team, but also for the leadership he demonstrated through his philanthropic efforts."
The Bulls selected Deng with the No. 7 pick in the 2004 draft, and he played for Chicago until he was traded in January 2014. He was a two-time All-Star who ranks fourth in Bulls franchise history in points (10,286), fifth in minutes (22,882), sixth in games (637), ninth in rebounds (4,078), fifth in steals (639) and 10th in blocks (360). The Bulls reached the playoffs eight times in Deng's nine full seasons with the team.
Deng won the Sportsmanship Award in 2006-'07 and the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2013-'14.
Deng appeared in 22 games for the Timberwolves in 2018-'19. The Bulls will honor Deng at a still-to-be-determined game later this season.
"From the moment we made Luol Deng the seventh overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls became a better team," executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said in a statement. "Luol carried himself with first-class professionalism and leadership, helping lead his Bulls team to eight playoff appearances during his time in Chicago. We'll always remember his All-Star career and the fierce competitiveness he brought to both ends of the floor every night."
