Luol Deng on joining Miami Heat: I’m not LeBron James

While Luol Deng is very excited to be a member of the Miami Heat after signing as a free agent this past summer, he wants to make it known that he’s not going to replace LeBron James.

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Yes, Deng and James play the same position and yes both have proven themselves to be very solid on both ends of the court though the former Chicago Bulls star doesn’t want anybody to think he can fill the shoes of King James now that he’s taken over his spot in South Beach.

“I’ve been in the league 11 years and I’m still improving,” Deng said. “I would never try to replace anybody no matter if they’re better than me or I’m better than somebody. We all bring different things. The biggest mistake I would make is try to be LeBron. I’m not LeBron.”

We’ve often see a player come in and attempt to replace a fan favorite and/or All-Star level player only to falter in their attempts to replicate their game. That doesn’t appear to be something Luol Deng plans to do as he’s going to be his own player for the Miami Heat.

It’s a fantastic line of reasoning from Luol Deng who, while no LeBron James, should emerge as a Miami Heat fan favorite thanks to his effort and hard working style of play.

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