Aug 04, 2008 12:54 PM EST

Whether it is debating the responsibility of athletes to protest in Beijing or the ethnic roots of the conflict in Darfur, western Sudan, Luol Deng combines moral seriousness with a commitment to action.

“I feel that I am not just an athlete,” he says, without arrogance. “Because of my position, because of what I have been through, because of what I have seen, because of what my country has been through, I feel that I have a responsibility to do something more than perform on the court. It just does not make sense to keep all my gifts to myself. I feel that everything I earn is for me to share with everyone.”

Via Times Online