Football
ESPN staff 7y

Basketball star Luol Deng reveals Crystal Palace ownership dream

Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Luol Deng has said he harbours ambitions of buying Premier League club Crystal Palace "if I become a billionaire."

Deng, who supports Arsenal, grew up close to the Eagles' Selhurst Park home.

And speaking ahead of the NBA Global Games London 2017 in which the Denver Nuggets host the Indiana Pacers at the O2, he said he hoped struggling Palace, now managed Sam Allardyce, would be able to stay in the top flight.

"I grew up three minutes from the Crystal Palace stadium and when I was young on matchday there was a hill where we could watch the Palace through a gap in the stadium," he added.

"Since then I've been a huge Crystal Palace fan -- Arsenal's my number one team, Crystal Palace is my second.

"I'm hoping they can stay up -- I've always said that if I become a billionaire I'm buying Crystal Palace. It's a dream of mine."

Deng praised Alexis Sanchez for his "amazing" season for Arsenal but said midfielder Mesut Ozil was his favourite "because he's such an unselfish player."

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