On July 21, at the O2 Arena in London, a missed foul almost rewrote basketball history.
South Sudan, the youngest country in the world, faced the world's most powerful country, the United States Dream Team, in a matchup as disparities as David and Goliath.
Surprisingly, South Sudan led by 14 points in the first half, but the United States woke up in the second half and began to fight back. Had it not been for James' pivotal performance, Winyerne · Gabriel's goal would have been South Sudan's stunner. So it's no surprise that Gabriel didn't mention the decision in his post-match press conference. Instead, he seized the opportunity and was proud of his and his team-mates' heroics.
South Sudan is just one step closer to creating a super-upset on the international basketball stage. It's hard to believe considering that the country was only founded in 2011 and still doesn't have an indoor basketball court.
A Brief History of South Sudan
- The youngest sovereign state in the world
Sudan gained independence in 1956, but conflict between the north and the south erupted. The demographics of the two regions are very different, with the north being predominantly Arab, while the south is dominated by traditional tribes. The conflict led to two civil wars, the first from 1955 to 1972 and the second from 1983 to 2005. In 2011, after a referendum in which 98 percent of voters chose secession, the new state of South Sudan was born.
However, independence did not stop the bleeding in the country. South Sudan continues to be full of violence, which is why it is one of the poorest countries in the world. This has also led to the largest refugee crisis in Africa, with millions of people affected and displaced.
In the midst of this conflict and crisis, basketball has been a ray of light for the people of South Sudan.
The rise of basketball in South Sudan
The South Sudan Basketball Federation was founded in May 2011 and joined the FIBA family in 2013. They had a cool name, Bright Star, but it wasn't until 2017 that they played their first official game.
In 2021, South Sudan made its debut in the African Basketball Championship, making it all the way to the quarter-finals before being stopped by eventual champions Tunisia. They also picked up a win at the start of the game because Cameroon abstained, and then won against Uganda and Kenya. But this is just the beginning of South Sudan's shining path.
In the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, South Sudan beat all the other teams, winning 11 of 12 games, and easily got the ticket to the World Cup. Although they lost to Puerto Rico in extra time in the first game, they won a historic victory over China in the second game, but unfortunately lost to Serbia in the third group stage and could only play the 17-32 ranking match.
Along with the Philippines, China and Angola, South Sudan have won three of their five games and are in first place. Egypt have won just two of their five matches, making South Sudan the highest-ranked African team to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. They are the only African representatives!
South Sudan's rapid rise in international basketball is due to former NBA player Lore · Deng. Although he is a South Sudanese, he had to leave his home country with his family because of the war as a child, first taking refuge in Egypt and then in United Kingdom.
The two-time All-Star has been president of the South Sudan Federation since 2019, but he has done a lot of good for the team and the country through his foundation since 2005. Since 2020, he has also joined the coaching team in various capacities, and is truly an all-round talent.
Lore · Deng has played for United Kingdom throughout his international career, but he is trying to ensure that today's South Sudanese players can represent their country on the biggest stage, rather than playing for their family's refuge country, such as Australia, as their predecessors did.
According to Al Jazeera, a number of players like Sendy · Deci, Mayok· Deng and Deng · Akus have all turned down the opportunity to play for a higher-ranked Australia team. This is the strongest proof of Deng's impact on South Sudan.
South Sudan's head coach Royle · Ivey has also been a big factor in their rise to the top of African basketball. He joined the program in 2021 after serving as an assistant coach for the Thunder, Knicks and Nets, and is now part of the Rockets' coaching staff.
An overview of the current South Sudan squad players
South Sudan now has only one player playing in the NBA.
In April, South Sudan's initial list of 50 athletes for the Olympics was announced, and by early June, the list had been reduced to 25. The 25-man roster includes two active NBA players, Bol · Bol and JT · Saul, but there are also players like Venyon· Gabriel, Carrick· Jones and Marial · Shayok.
By July 24, although the final 12-man roster had not yet been announced, Bol · had withdrawn from the competition for personal reasons. Former NBA No. 10 pick Thorn · Meck is also in the hunt for the roster, having last played in the NBA in 2021 for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Meck, who has previously represented Australia, is now desperate for a change of club and is now working towards joining his home country.
Although South Sudan may not have much NBA experience in the Olympic Games, their chemistry may allow them to shine in this tournament.
What's next for South Sudan?
Ahead of the one-point defeat against United States, South Sudan, ranked 33rd, had three more warm-up games ahead of the upcoming Olympics. They opened their game against world No. 8 Argentina, and although they lost by nine points, the game was close until the fourth quarter when Argentina pulled away.
However, South Sudan quickly regained their form, winning back-to-back games against Portugal and United Kingdom, who are ranked in the top 50, both of which were quite beautiful.
South Sudan's first match at the Olympics will be against Puerto Rico, giving them a chance to get revenge as they lost to Puerto Rico in the opening game of the 2023 World Cup. They will face United States in their next game, and then they have a third chance to get revenge, which is against Serbia with Jokic in charge.
Before these warm-up games, everyone thought that South Sudan would be a vulnerable team, but now the other teams have to think twice before taking them lightly.
South Sudan's squad is mostly made up of players in their twenties and early thirties, who have proven themselves in leagues around the world. However, they also have 17-year-old Kaman · Maluaki on their team, who could be the next superstar in basketball.
The young player, who has signed for Duke University, has shown his quality in his only few playing opportunities, including seven points, three rebounds and one block in 12 minutes against the United States. He is expected to be the favorite for the 2025 NBA Draft and could be a cornerstone player for South Sudan in the years to come.
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