Slammed and Dunked by Luol Deng

I don't why it is but, like most men, if I see a football, or a rugby, cricket or indeed basketball, I want to play with it, no matter where I might be, and no matter with whom I might be with. And so, hours before Luol Deng scored 18 points in helping his Chicago Bulls team defeat the Utah Jazz 102-101 at the 02 Arena in front of a full house of nearly 18,700 fans, I was standing in the middle of the Bulls on the court holding a basketball and waiting to speak to the Sudanese-born, British-naturalised, NBA star who just happens to be President Barack Obama's favourite player. Even while a voice in my head implored me not to I started to bounce the ball, first with my right hand, then with my left, then through my legs. This show of skills lasted precisely 12 seconds until the ball bounced on to my foot, and rolled away across the court to where Deng, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were sitting. None, it is fair to say looked too impressed, and my dreams of matching Deng's £40 million, six-year contract appears to be in tatters. Oh well, back to the day job!