British basketball star Luol Deng spoke on Tuesday about the pride he has for his heritage after the revelation of racist comments by Atlanta Hawks manager Danny Ferry.

Ferry repeated comments from a scouting report on Deng in which he is referred to as: “Still a young guy overall but he’s not perfect. He’s got some African in him. And I don’t say that in a bad way.

“He’s like a guy who would have a nice store out front but sell you counterfeit stuff out the back.”

But Deng said he was proud of his background and had not allowed the attack to dampen his spirits.

“I’m proud to say I actually have a lot of African in me, not just ‘a little’,” he said. 

“For my entire life, my identity has been a source of pride and strength. Among my family and friends, in my country of South Sudan and across the broader continent of Africa, I can think of no greater privilege than to do what I love for a living while also representing my heritage on the highest stage.”

The NBA franchise had been investigating the racist comments for several months.