The Story of Majok Deng

Now, the world's youngest nation, South Sudan is fighting its own civil war. One family was given the opportunity to escape.

 

It's here in Tucson, where one of the top basketball prospects in the country, Majok Deng, now calls home.

 

The desert Deng came from, was far less forgiving. In Kenya, Deng and his family were faced with death when soldiers shot in their community. Not all of his family made it out.

 

"Early early morning tragedy happened, we just started hearing guns everywhere, guns everywhere, my mom grabbed me and my little brother Leek and threw us out,” Deng said.  “We just started running, we didn't even know where we were going."

 

Their escape, led to months, wandering the African bush, looking for safety. Majok, his mother Akech, and some of his brothers made it to a refugee camp in Kenya with uncertainty of what happened to family left behind.

 

Deng’s dad and two of his brothers did not make it to the camp in Kenya.

 

"Some people fell down shooting by gun, the houses burnt, some die in the houses, some die in front of me here,” Deng's mother, Akech Ngong said. "It's so hard, people walk in the bush, no water, no food, nobody help you. If you urinate, you give to everybody - urine - because no water, and no food, don't talk about food."

After a few years, the family was cleared for immigration, but with the dream of America in sight, came nightmarish news from South Sudan.

 

"My mom gets a phone call in Nairobi, saying that your mom has been killed in the hut,” Deng said. “She was burned in the hut.

 

"My mom, she took care of me a lot," said Ngong. "She loved me, and she loved my kids."

 

Majok’s family lives in Tucson now and he plays on the basketball team at Salpointe Catholic High School.

 

The Deng's landed in Chicago on Jan. 21, 2011, then flew to Arizona. Living in America gave Majok a new start and a new sport, basketball.

 

Deng said that at first no one wanted him on the team because he lacked experience. Deng picked up the sport when his older brother, Deng Deng, went to the park near their house to play basketball.

 

"There was a time we used to play 1 on 1,” Deng Deng said. “ I used to beat him all the time, then one time, he start beating me, so I was like I'm done."

 

But, one year later Majok, who was 12 at the time, showed a lot of improvement. 

 

"I just grabbed the ball and ran down and dunked it" said Majok. "And I was 12 and I was like, ‘did I just dunk right here?’"

 

Majok, now only a sophomore in high school is 6 feet 5 inches and strong.

 

Scholarship offers are pouring in, including last month an offer from Arizona and Coach Sean Miller.

 

"(Miller) told Majok 'The reason, we are bringing you here is not because you are a good basketball player only, we are bringing you here because you have a good personality, you have the passion for the game, you want to do something good for your family,'" said Deng Deng, who accompanied Majok on his school visit.

 

Majok also holds offers from Utah, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Grand Canyon, New Mexico, Portland, and San Francisco. 11 of 12 Pac-12 schools have shown interest in Deng, along with Gonzaga, Nebraska, TCU and many more. Deng is ranked the #41 overall prospect in the nation by Scout Recruiting Service, and a Top 10 player in the west region by ESPN for the Class of 2019.

 

"He's already a leader on our team in terms of passion and charisma and excitement," said Salpointe Head Coach Brian Holstrom.

 

"His potential is in the sky," said senior teammate Isaac Cruz.

 

Deng and his family often think of his home, and recently found Deng's father, Nuul, and oldest brother, Mayen. Nuul Deng is in South Sudan's capital city of Juba, trying to start a business. Mayen was found after being wounded in South Sudan's current civil war. He is now in Ethiopia with the family working to get him out of Africa. Ngong said she feels guilty talking to them when she does not have money to send back to help.

 

"Now we are okay here,” Ngong said.  “But I am not sleeping well because of my people back in the camp."

 

Majok is named for his grandmother and he wears her name on his game shoes. Athon Korjok Majok.

 

"It's very special for me to carry her name," said Majok. "I look at it like, this name is on my right hand and I have to take it and have it guide me everywhere."

 

Her memory and his faith helps get him through difficult times.

 

"God has been great, and my grandma has been great even though she's not here," said Majok.

 

Names are very important in Dinka culture and Majok's last name could not be more perfect for his chosen sport. Deng, in Dinka, means "rain," and on the basketball court, Deng is more deluge than drizzle, averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds for the 4A #2 seed Lancers. For a city who is used to excellence on the basketball court in the Wildcats, Tucson rarely has top basketball prospects.

 

For Southern Arizona, Deng is a player rare and refreshing - like rain in the desert. Watch video.