On the second day of this year’s Olympics, South Sudan men’s basketball shocked the world and upset Puerto Rico, giving the team its first Olympic win in history.
The world’s newest nation, having only gained its independence in 2011, put the world on notice after a surprising 90-79 victory. South Sudan’s star player Carlik Jones lead the charge with 19 points and 7 rebounds.
“I think it means the world,” said Jones. “It just lets them know that anything’s possible, as long as you keep working hard and battle adversity. I hope we put a lot of smiles on a lot of people’s faces.”
South Sudan’s combination of size and defense propelled them to victory and won them fan support as an underdog in international basketball. Remember, the team doesn’t even have a current NBA player on its roster and almost upset Team USA during the pre-Olympics basketball exhibition games.
The team put the world on notice that it had arrived and that they will continue to be a presence in the global game.
But most importantly, South Sudan’s success proves that the NBA, and Luol Deng in particular, got it right by investing in Africa.
In 2020, during the Pandemic, the NBA launched NBA Africa with 12 teams from 12 countries, and the games were televised in 215 countries and territories.
The league has continued to grow, giving hope that the next generation of players like Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Manute Bol, Serge Ibaka, Pascal Siakam, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be NBA-bound. The same is true on the women’s side, especially after Nigeria’s upset of Australia last week, giving the team its first Olympic victory since 2004.
But Deng’s investment is much closer to the heart, as he has personally funded the South Sudan team for the last four years.
“He pays for gyms, hotels, plane tickets – everything. Kudos to Luol and the staff. We wouldn’t be able to put this team together without them.” said South Sudan’s head coach, Roy Ivey.
Deng was a 2x NBA All-Star who played in the league for 15 years. Most remember him for his time in Chicago, but he was actually born in the country now known as South Sudan.
His family fled the area when he was a child and settled in the UK, where he became a British citizen. He represented the country during international games, but he always wanted to play for his homeland team, which technically did not exist at the time.
But after the country’s independence in 2011, the door opened for Deng.
He’s been the president of the South Sudanese Basketball Federation since 2019 and is also currently the assistant coach for the men’s national team. He was previously the team’s head coach.
While the team couldn’t duplicate the success it had in its first meeting against the U.S., this time losing by 17 points in the Olympics, the team’s present and future have been secured.
“The Olympics is the 12 best teams that are competing right now. Just to be able to be one of the 12 best teams is an honor,” said South Sudan player Nuni Omot. “I think people are going to know who I am now. And it’s not about me. But people are going to know who South Sudan is.”
Actually Nuni, they now know.
