Gorgui Dieng

Gorgui Dieng's Biography

Gorgui Sy Dieng, born on January 18, 1990, is a retired professional basketball player from Senegal who is currently working as a Basketball Operations Representative for the San Antonio Spurs, a team in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Dieng’s basketball career started early in his life in the city of Thies, Senegal, where he studied at the esteemed Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEEDS) academy. Excelling acadically, Dieng maintained a GPA of 3.2 even as he played basketball in the National 1 league with the US Rail team. Under his tremendous leadership, US Rail emerged victorious in the Senegalese Cup in 2009. In recognition of his efforts, Dieng was named the Finals MVP after scoring an impressive 19 points in the final game.

A shift in his career trajectory came when Dieng was one of the 60 promising players from Africa selected to attend the Basketball Without Borders camp in South Africa. He made full use of this opportunity, earning the title of camp MVP in 2009.

After his stint in Africa, Dieng moved to West Virginia, USA, where he attended Huntington Prep and played for Coach Rob Fulford. His performance was exceptional; he garnered an average of 15.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 7.2 blocks per game during his senior season.

Competing for his talents were several universities, including Marquette, Marshall, Colorado, and Louisville. It was Louisville, however, that attracted Dieng the most. After a series of events involving the transition of coaches and a contract extension with Rick Pitino, Dieng verbally committed to the University of Louisville.

Despite initial hurdles of NCAA rulings and eligibility issues, Dieng finally got to play for the team, averaging 5.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game within 16 minutes of play per game as a freshman. During his time with Louisville, he broke the school record for blocks in a season and led the team to the final four stages of the NCAA tournament.

Professional opportunities came knocking for Dieng in 2013 when he was selected by the Utah Jazz as the 21st overall pick in the NBA draft. On the same night, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. During his debut season, the potential of Dieng was evident as he recorded a 20-20 game within his first three starts – a remarkable feat for a rookie.

After over seven years with the Timberwolves, Dieng was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2020. However, within a year, he reached a contract buyout agreement with the Grizzlies and joined the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent. His time with the Spurs, however, was short, as he signed with the Atlanta Hawks later in the same year and then returned to the Spurs the following year.

In November 2021, Dieng made a move that surprised fans and colleagues alike. He announced his retirement from professional basketball and took on a representative role with the San Antonio Spurs’ basketball operations division.

Apart from his impressive record on the court, Dieng also made considerable contributions towards humanitarian efforts. He established the Gorgui Dieng Foundation in 2015, which provides medical aid and supplies, significantly improving the quality of healthcare in his native Senegal.

His services have been recognized and appreciated by many. In 2019, he became just the third player to receive the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award. In addition to this, Dieng actively practices Islam and strives to give back to his community through his philanthropic efforts.

Capping off his illustrious career, Gorgui Dieng leaves an indelible mark on the world of basketball. Named as “the old one” in his native language Wolof, Gorgui’s wisdom, resilience, and unwavering spirit will continue to inspire aspiring athletes around the globe.