Luol Deng insists he will play in the Olympics even if he needs surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist.

“I just know that I’m looking forward to playing in the Olympics,” he said. “I’m excited about it. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid, and I’m going to prepare myself for it.”

Deng tore the ligament earlier this season and decided to play in pain rather than undergo surgery.

“Honestly, my whole career, it’s the toughest thing I’ve done, and when I look back at it, I’m glad I did it,” Deng said. “I really hope, in the long run, it’s going to make me a better player. I learned a lot of things to be able to do that in the NBA, but I’m glad I made the decision. We had the best record, and we were going into the playoffs with the best team, so it was definitely a great decision. Unfortunately, other things happened.”

If Deng undergoes surgery, it will be after playing for Britain in the London Olympics.

“I haven’t really ruled out not getting the surgery or getting it,” he said. “I just haven’t made that decision. I just know that I’ve got the Olympics ahead of me. Since I was a kid growing up, it’s something I’ve always wanted to be a part of, and the fact that it’s in my hometown that I grew up in, in a country that gave me the opportunity to even be here, I’m looking forward to it.”