Deng 'proud' to embrace refugee status

Luol Deng, a Sudan-born forward for the LA Lakers who is now a British citizen, called himself a "proud refugee" on Monday as he condemned US President Donald Trump's travel ban on Muslims.

Deng was born in Wau, which became part of South Sudan in 2011. After fleeing the region for Egypt, he became a British citizen in 2006, playing for Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.

"I am a proud refugee," Deng said in a statement posted on Twitter. "I would not be where I am today if it weren't for the opportunity to find refuge in a safe harbor. For the people of South Sudan, refugee resettlement has saved countless lives, just as it has for families all over the world escaping the depths of despair."