South Sudan’s Bright Stars will face Team USA in their second Olympic basketball game, vying for the top spot in Group C. LeBron James and his teammates trained in Paris on Tuesday ahead of the matchup.
U.S. guard Stephen Curry spoke of an “appropriate fear” of the competition. The U.S. narrowly beat South Sudan in an exhibition game on July 20. “If you don’t get heightened just by being here, I don’t care who you are playing. We know we can’t just sleepwalk through any game and feel like we’re gonna play well, let alone win,” Curry said. “We’re beatable if we don’t play our game. But if we do, we have a lot of confidence we can beat everybody.”
Both South Sudan and the U.S. won their first matches. Joel Embiid was booed by French fans during the U.S. team’s tournament opener, having chosen to play for the U.S. instead of France or Cameroon. “As I said, I’m American. I’m playing with Team USA. So, it’s nothing,” Embiid stated.
The faceoff for Group C’s top spot is scheduled for Wednesday at 9 PM UTC+2. South Sudan is the only African team qualified for the Olympic men’s basketball tournament. The Bright Stars stunned Puerto Rico 90-79 for their first-ever Olympic basketball win in the 33rd Olympiad.
For the U.S., which has medaled in every one of its 19 Olympic appearances, that’s no big deal. For South Sudan, everything is a big deal—first Olympics, first win, and the world watching to see if the near-upset of the Americans two weeks ago was a fluke.
“Obviously, we’re very confident,” South Sudan’s Nuni Omot said. “We’re going to continue to play our game. Continue to defend. Anything is possible. It’s basketball at the end of the day. We all work hard. We all do the same thing. Just to be able to go up against a team like that, it’s a big test.”
South Sudan’s journey to Paris is a story in itself. Two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng, who runs the South Sudan program, uses his personal wealth to cover team expenses. The team lacks a training site in South Sudan, flies coach, and deals with travel delays. Yet, they performed well enough at the World Cup last summer to earn the Olympic spot and nearly beat the U.S. on their way to France.
“For us, the fact that we’re already here in itself is a massive accomplishment,” forward Kuany Kuany said. “So, we just want to enjoy it, make the most of it, have fun, and just show everybody what South Sudan’s about.”
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, followed by a civil war that left nearly 400,000 dead and over 4 million displaced. Despite a 2018 peace deal, clashes continue, the economy is fragile, and food insecurity remains a concern. Elections slated for February 2023 are now planned for December.
There will be no overlooking South Sudan on Wednesday, not after the last meeting when the U.S. needed a layup from LeBron James with 8 seconds left to avoid a surprising loss. South Sudan’s Carlik Jones, who has NBA experience, was a standout player, dropping a triple-double on the Americans in London. If the Olympic campaign were a movie, he would be the plot twist.
