Remember when the prodigal sports agent Jerry Maguire made a deal as "solid as oak" with the father of a hot shot quarterback?
Well, somewhere in London, the father of Luol Deng is now interviewing prospective agents to serve his son. It's a nice gesture from a father that already solidified one decision for the former Duke student-athlete--that of leaving Durham for the NBA.
"If it was [Luol's] choice, he would stay," Aldo Deng told The Chronicle last month. "[But the decision] was unanimous."
Meanwhile, another member of the Duke basketball family isn't paying so much attention to his family. Much-heralded point guard recruit Shaun Livingston appears to be full-steam ahead in his odyssey to the professional ranks.
Livingston didn't offend the gods, however--he's shied away from the advice of his grandfather, a decision that has, reportedly, put the two on non-speaking terms.
"He has phony friends now and will eventually be betrayed by them," Frank Livingston told TheDevilsDen.com. "They all tell him to go to the league and they're only telling him that for one reason: Money. Every agent is telling him the same thing. If they tell him to go to Duke, they all get zilch. I'm just hoping he's figuring all of this out."
Such is the crossroads reached by two very different families with the prospect of a very similar opportunity. The families of both Luol and Shaun are to be lauded profusely for the amount of caring and time for their respective sons. I say this believing that, perhaps, too much of one individual's decision is being made by a parent, while another individual's decision is too independent of a grandparent.
But with all due respect, all that matters for now is that those "true" friends are going to be needed more than ever for both Deng and Livingston. Deng is a lock for the top ten in the Draft--but that is the only remaining certainty.
In terms of basketball, Deng's potential is great, but that's been true of plenty of "can't-miss" players over the years. He's got natural ability and a passion for the game that is superior to most, but will his body and his mind hold up to the strain of being an NBA rookie on a lackluster team?
Another issue that's important to Deng--and to his family--is a healthy relationship with the Duke community. Deng is, without question, one of my favorite all-time players in Blue Devil basketball history. I also happen to enjoy this University and its community of learners and supporters, as well. It came as a great disappointment to me then when a despicably infectious uproar came from pseudo-Duke fans following the initial Deng decision to go pro.
A mere scanning of the online responses to our story of that announcement is indicative of that fact. "Good riddance!" said Alan Whitley; "out and out greed" said another; "Terrible teammate" crowed a person claiming to be a student.
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If Deng and his family think he should go pro now, then he should go pro.
Simple as that. Since that's nearly finalized, it's time for the much of the Duke community to apologize to Deng for its tempestuous remarks-he would have stayed at Duke had it been solely his decision. Not that that justifies the vitriolic reaction (it most certainly doesn't), it will hopefully make those who lashed out think twice the next time they bestow their holier-than-thou opinions on a young man merely trying to grapple with a decision upon which immeasurable pressure resides.
Deng is going pro. Whether or not he's ready is moot. He'll be there--likely in Charlotte, for the Bobcats. And all signs point to Livingston being in the league, as well. The odds are stacked up much higher against him, seeing as how he's going to be a 170-pound teenager in a league full of the greatest physical specimens (not on steroids) in the world.
I wish them both the very best, in the world of basketball and in the real world itself. And I hope that they're both successful and healthy enough to have someone show them both the money for a long time to come.
More than that, I hope they return to Duke someday to get those college degrees that they both deserve so much. That would certainly make their families very proud.