London 2012 Olympics: Great Britain basketball star Luol Deng's place at Games in jeopardy after wrist injury

Deng missed Britain's first ever appearance in a European Championships back in 2009 after failing to overcome a stress fracture in his right tibia suffered while playing for the Bulls.

His decision to put off surgery and play through the problem raises questions over whether he will be fit for the Olympics in London.

However, Deng, who suffered a similar injury to his right wrist during the 2004-05 NBA season, ultimately having surgery before the end of the season, is optimistic after consulting the doctors who treated him then.

"It could always be worse. Injuries happen," Deng said.

"And this happened in the fourth quarter of a game. But it is what is. It's just: 'What do we do from here.'

"I'm very confident that I'll be fine. It's sore, but the soreness is going down a lot in two days. So every day [I'll] keep treating it and see if I can get rid of the soreness and just try to be back there as soon as possible."

Deng's injury is the latest setback for GB who are sweating over the fitness of Eric Boateng, Joel Freeland and Nate Reinking.

Performance director Chris Spice admitted that the action in the NBA, in which Deng is logging a career high 38.3 minutes per game, has been "absolutely ferocious" this season.

He added: "The workload on key players and the increased injury risk on players has become quite an issue, certainly the Bulls have been badly hit. There is very little we can do, the lock out has determined that there be this short highly compressed season."

Jim Redmond's 1992 Olympic heroics put Steven Spielberg's Warhorse in its place

While Spielberg’s wearisome work oozes the worst kind of schmaltzy faux sentimentality, watching Redmond dash from the stands to attend to his stricken son Derek in the semi-final of the 400 metres forces even the most granite-hearted to reach for the Kleenex.

Quite rightly, Redmond senior has been acknowledged for his moment helping his boy across the line by being appointed as one of the first carriers of the Olympic flame when it arrives here in the summer.

This is a man who, without ever actually participating, encapsulates the best of the Olympic spirit.

What is more, he will also, when he trots through the streets, be demonstrating this truth about all sport: behind every great performer is a parent, who lives, breathes and suffers every moment of their offspring’s efforts.