Chicago Bull’s forward, Luol Deng, has been selected as the 2008 recipient of the UN Refugee Agency’s Humanitarian of the Year Award. The award is in recognition of Deng’s support of UNHCR’s ninemillion.org campaign to bring education and sports to millions of displaced children. Deng, himself a former refugee from south Sudan, will receive the award at the agency’s annual World Refugee Day commemoration to be held in Washington on June 20th.
Earlier this year, Deng, pledged to donate US$50 to ninemillion.org for every basket he scored and in a public service announcement he recorded in support of the campaign he urged his fans to support his efforts to improve the lives of young refugees.