Luol Deng cherished his experience at the London 2012 Olympic Games – and now the giant Chicago Bulls forward is focused on a repeat at Rio 2016. The British player is in the ‘Marvellous City’ for the Bulls’ pre-season match against Washington Wizards, which will take place on Saturday at the Rio Olympic Arena.

And after training at the headquarters of Flamengo Basketball Club, Deng revealed he had already developed a strong affection for Brazil. “It’s my first time in Brazil and, oh man, it’s beautiful. And it’s really important for the NBA to be here for the Brazilian fans who follow us.”

Deng, 28, was Great Britain’s key player at the London Games last year and his passion for Olympic basketball remains strong. “The London Olympic Games were amazing. I’ve been a pro for 10 years but the Olympics was something you have to experience as an athlete.

“Every year (in the league) is pretty much similar, but the Olympics bring together people from all over the world, different nationalities and cultures all in one place and competing against each other. Playing against all those different cultures was an honour. The Olympic Village was incredible.

“Qualifying for Rio is our goal and we are very motivated. We want to play in the Olympics again and I want to come back to Rio. The development of British basketball is a process but generally it’s getting better.”

Noah, the son of French tennis legend Yannick Noah, missed out on the London Games because of injury and was cautious about commiting himself to Rio 2016. However, he did speak about his passion for Brazil and the importance of Olympic basketball.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to come here,” said the 28-year-old. “I had a Brazil flag in my room when I was a kid and always loved watching their football games. My father always loved Brazil and he had a restaurant called Do Brasil in St Barts (a Caribbean island) so as a kid I picked this up.

“The people and the vibe in Rio are really cool. It feels good to be here. Brazil has a great opportunity to represent itself (with the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games).

“Olympic basketball is huge. It takes an unbelievable sacrifice to get there and to represent your country is a great honour. It’s the best sporting event in the world. But for me right now, my focus is on this year and there is a lot of work to do to reach the Olympics, so we’ll see.”

Another Olympic hopeful will line up alongside Deng and Noah for the Bulls at the Rio Olympic Arena on Saturday. Point Guard Derrick Rose, the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player, is returning to action this season after recovering from knee surgery and the 25-year-old will be hoping to represent the USA ‘Dream Team’ at Rio 2016, after missing out on London 2012 because of his injury.

Saturday’s game will be the first time the NBA has held a match in Brazil. It is part of the NBA Global Games pre-season series, with games also taking place in the Philippines, Spain, England, China and Turkey.