by Our Sports Desk

Luol Deng admitted yesterday that he does not know what the future holds for British Basketball and thinks funding cuts have left the sport at the point of no return.

The 29-year-old, who signed for the Miami Heat in July, has twice been named an NBA All-Star and turned out for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.

Following the Games UK Sport announced basketball would no longer receive funding — with the belief that the team would struggle to win medals at the 2016 Olympics.

In response to the news, with organising body British Basketball deciding against an appeal, Deng has set up his own academy in partnership with Nike, Evelyn Grace Academy and Reforming Black Britain with the aim to produce elite players.

But, as defeat to Iceland last week meant Britain can no longer qualify for EuroBasket 2015, Deng admits the future appears bleak.

“We are very close,” he told said when asked if the sport was close to collapse.

“At this point I don’t know what is next, we just have to wait and see what the plan is. I really don’t know the reason for it.

“People are judging us by the Olympics but people are not judging it by what it took to get to the Olympics.

“Everyone just wanted to show up and watch but they didn’t watch the growth of the game from the level we were at on day one to the point where we reached the Olympics.

“You then have six games where you are judged and all of a sudden everything you have done in five or six years is judged within those games.

“It is just bad timing. Funding has a lot to do with it — I think guys are now questioning if the team is not committed to us then why are we so committed.”