Part-ambassador, part-salesman for Nike, who pay millions annually to top NBA stars to endorse the Swoosh, Luol Deng has been criss-crossing Britain ever since he returned after his rookie season. There have been clinics in Manchester and Birmingham, followed by an all-night event on Friday in Brixton, in the very same sports centre where his latent talent was first spotted and honed.

"I've got my own camp coming up in Kent this week," he outlines. "A lot of it's about raising attention for basketball and hopefully in future years, I'll do more of it. The focus is on kids and spending time with them, answering their questions or teaching them basketball.

"I enjoy coming back and doing it because, coming from here, I want to see more players succeed. Even if it's not basketball, you're helping out because some of the kids who come along are not in great situations. And if they see me, they can learn that hard work will get them anywhere."