Deng Gai (born March 22, 1982) is a South Sudanese former professional
basketball player. A
power forward, he briefly played in the
National Basketball Association (NBA) and in several other leagues. Gai was the 2005
NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leader.
Early life
Gai fled from Sudan in 1999 as a refugee due to the
civil war.
He travelled by train and a crude boat over a three-day trek to Egypt.
Gai arrived in the United States and settled in
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull, Easton, Weston, and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. Located within the New York metropolitan area ...
.
College basketball
After attending
Milford Academy in
Connecticut, Gai played
college basketball at
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time ...
(also in the state), where he was a three-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and took the
Stags
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
to the
MAAC semifinals in 2005. Gai graduated as number eight on the
NCAA's all-time
blocked shots list.
As a senior, Gai was named first team All-MAAC, leading the nation in blocks (5.5 bpg) while blocking 10 or more shots in three contests.
Professional basketball
Gai declared for the
NBA Draft in 2004, but ultimately withdrew his name. He was signed as a
free agent by the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
in 2005.
After playing in only two regular-season games for the team, Gai was waived in December 2005. He then briefly played for the
USBL's
Dodge City Legend and the
ABA
ABA may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
Broadcasting
* Alabama Broadcasters Association, United States
* Asahi Broadcasting Aomori, Japanese television station
* Australian Broadcasting Authority
Education
* Académie des Beaux- ...
's
Wilmington Sea Dawgs. Subsequently, Gai, who had been drafted in 2005 by the
CBA's
Albany Patroons
The Albany Patroons are a professional basketball team that plays in The Basketball League (TBL). Previously, the team competed in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and in the United States Basketball League (USBL). The Patroons won ...
(2nd round, 10th overall), played for the team in the USBL, leading it in blocks. At the end of the season, he was named to the league's All-Defensive Team.
In 2007-08, Gai represented
Poland's
Śląsk Wrocław, but the team folded after that season.
Personal life
Gai has nine siblings.
He is a cousin of fellow NBA player
Luol Deng.
[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gaide01.html Deng Gai NBA Stats , Basketball-Reference.com]
See also
*
List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 13 or more blocks in a game
*
List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders
*
List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career blocks leaders
References
External links
NBA.com profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gai, Deng
1982 births
Living people
Expatriate basketball people in Lithuania
Expatriate basketball people in Poland
Expatriate basketball people in the United States
Fairfield Stags men's basketball players
Fairfield University alumni
Milford Academy alumni
People from Western Bahr el Ghazal
Philadelphia 76ers players
Power forwards (basketball)
Śląsk Wrocław basketball players
South Sudanese expatriate sportspeople in the United States
South Sudanese men's basketball players
Undrafted National Basketball Association players