Newsday columnist Ken Berger owns the hardwood with unique insights and special commentary from the world of the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and the rest of the NBA. ...
It didn't take as long to write for the newspaper as I thought. Either I'm getting better at it after 14 years, or I like blogging better. Anyway, I thought I would share this. While waiting for the Elton Brand press conference to be shown live on NBA TV, I caught the PSA starring the Bulls' Luol Deng raising awareness about the genocide in Darfur. The issue of China's complicit role in this atrocity is only going to gain more traction with the Beijing Olympics less than a month away. Seeing Deng make the case about what's going on in his native Sudan made me recall a conversation I had with him when the Bulls were in New Jersey to face the Nets late last season. I tried to engage Deng in a conversation on the topic, and he was reluctant -- blowing me off as politely as he could. I casually asked him why he didn't want to talk about it. He looked at me and said, "I have family in the Sudan." And that was all he needed to say. ...