When it comes to the Olympics and basketball, America are arguably the odds on favourites to win gold. However, there's an African country that's slowly making waves in the sport. South Sudan is the country in question and is possibly making America having a run for it's money.
As mentioned above, the USA is the pre-eminent force in men’s Olympic basketball. It has won the gold medal on 14 occasions and frequently assembles some of the sport’s biggest stars on the international stage.
The world took notice when a new upstart on the block, fresh off a captivating performance at the FIBA World Cup in 2023, pushed LeBron James and co. all the way to the final buzzer in an Olympic warm up game.
South Sudan, the world’s newest country, captured the hearts of spectators at the World Cup en route to a 17th place finish out of 32 teams. While that might not appear to be all that impressive at first glance, the Bright Stars finished top of the pool of teams that didn't advance to the knockout stages and left the competition with a winning 3-2 record.
As the best-placed African team, the result secured the squad a spot at the Olympics for the very first time in it's history. It isn't bad for a country that has only officially existed for 13 years and has no indoor basketball facilities.
Among those making their national team debuts at the tournament is Wenyen Gabriel, who’s had multiple stints in the NBA for the likes of the Los Angles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Like multiple others on the Olympic roster, Gabriel is a refugee. He was forced to leave South Sudan as a young child, escaping the Second Sudanese Civil War. He and his family moved to Cairo two weeks after he was born before eventually arriving in the United States as refugees two years later.
Gabriel explained that he was unsure whether his nation would ever have a basketball team so when the opportunity arrived, he jumped at it.
He said, "Knowing that, there’s a bunch of kids, a bunch of youth, that are from South Sudan that look up to us, that are inspired by what we do, that think that maybe they can make it next – for me to go represent the country, be one of the first group is just an honor to me."
After decades of civil war, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 following a referendum, making it the world’s newest widely recognized state.
The nation descended into a civil war of its own shortly after, with the war officially ending in 2018 - though violence persists to this day. It is listed as one of the least developed countries in the world by the United Nations.
Before becoming an official state and well before bursting on to the international stage, the country already possessed some NBA pedigree. Manute Bol, one of the tallest players in NBA history at 7 foot 7 inches, gained a reputation as one of the league’s elite shot blockers between 1985 and 1995.
Luol Deng is a two-time All-Star who was born in what is now South Sudan, arriving in London - via Egypt - as a refugee, before moving to the USA for his professional career. He now serves as the president of South Sudan’s basketball federation.
South Sudan recently held its first news conference ahead of a friendly match against Great Britain in London. Something that repeatedly came up was the notion that the Olympic campaign extends beyond just sport.
Putting the nation on the Olympic map and forging a path for the younger generation is at the core of the team.
Deng said, "For all of us it’s a journey that’s bigger than basketball. Sports can elevate and motivate a nation. These guys know what’s more important is what they’re leaving behind."
"We’re going out there to represent something that’s bigger than ourselves and that’s known at every single point that we’re out there," Gabriel added.
South Sudan are entering the Games bearing the additional responsibility of being the only African men’s basketball team to qualify – Nigeria qualified for the women’s competition. The continent has a rich history of producing NBA talent, including MVP winners Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria and Joel Embiid, born in Cameroon but playing for Team USA.
The players spoke about the extra motivation, with Gabriel saying that the support the team has received from other African fans has “opened up my eyes to whole new basketball world.
"Even though other [African] teams might not be in the Olympics, they’re still maybe rooting for us," he said. "So representing that, it shows even more continuity and gave us like a common goal."
Deng has also spoken of the need to erase harmful stereotypes and perceptions of the country and players. He said on Instagram that he was "disappointed" at "ignorant remarks" made by former NBA All-Stars Paul Pierce and Gilbert Arenas about the squad, calling Arenas’ comments "disrespectful and cruel." Pierce and Arenas have since apologised.
“Those who are easily misled may make comments that reflect self-hate more than pride. There is nothing about our history that we should run away from,” he wrote.
A huge cheer erupted as South Sudan pulled ahead for the first time against Great Britain, just before half-time. Spectators, dressed in black and white T-shirts, jumped to their feet, waved flags and danced in the stands of the Copper Box arena in London.
Last Thursday’s basketball match was one of the final warm up games South Sudan will play before the team starts its bid for Olympic gold in Paris on Sunday.
South Sudan, ranked 33rd in the world, is one of two African nations to qualify for basketball at the Olympic Games – the other is Nigeria in the women’s competition. It is a remarkable achievement for the world’s youngest country, which gained its independence in 2011, after years of civil war and is still racked by conflict, hunger and poverty.
The team’s path to qualifying for the Olympics was rocky. In 2020, players tested positive for Covid-19 in advance of one of the African qualifying tournaments, forcing them to withdraw. They were granted a spot in another tournament, when Algeria pulled out and made it to the World Cup. There, the team beat Angola, 11-time African champions, to become the lowest-ranked team to qualify for an Olympics since 2004.
“The reaction has been amazing," says Deng. "Not just everyone in the country but the continent – all our diaspora and the refugees have been motivated to see the positive direction."
Back at the arena in London, Great Britain, which did not qualify for Paris, make a comeback. The game goes down to the last play, with South Sudan successfully defending Great Britain’s final attack to win 84-81.
Chris Grant, chair of the British Basketball Federation, was at the match. He calls South Sudan’s trajectory “astonishing” and one that could help transform the success of the sport in Africa.
It's quite evident that South Sudan has gone through a meteoric rise. Throughout the struggles, basketball has become a glimmer of light and positivity. Their rise is so big that they can possibly challenge the great U.S.A. team for gold.