Miami Heat Forward Luol Deng has joined forces with French/West/Vaughan (FWV) in order to develop his personal brand and further maximize his marketing portfolio. FWV, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, is one of the nation’s leading public relations, advertising, and digital marketing agencies. After spending nine seasons in Chicago and the second half of last season playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Deng signed a two-year deal with the Heat in July. Deng is a two-time NBA All Star selection with career averages of 16.0 PPG, 6.3 REB and 2.5 AST.
FWV Chairman and CEO Rick French said, “Luol is an all-star talent who is highly respected throughout the sports world” and as a member of “the Heat in Miami, he is in a terrific position to leverage his star power here in the U.S. and across the globe.” Deng certainly has the name recognition and background to become a global figure for the NBA. Deng is a native of South Sudan and a citizen of the United Kingdom. He served as an ambassador for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Known for routinely giving back to both his local and global communities, he recently opened the DENG Academy in Brixton, UK to help promote basketball and education in the United Kingdom. Additionally, Deng has established the Luol Deng Foundation and partnered with Save The Children to provide protection for South Sudanese children. In 2014, Deng received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, which is presented annually to the NBA player, coach, or staff member who shows “outstanding service and dedication to the community.”
Mutually excited about this new joint venture Deng stated, “FWV has a reputation for creating outstanding marketing strategies for individual players,” and “I look forward to working closely with their team to develop my personal brand.” Deng joins a team of athletes at FWV that includes Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins, New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings, New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick, and retired NFL players Simeon Rice, Torry and Terrence Holt.