The story of Team South Sudan didn’t start a long time ago. It started on August 27, 2021, when they played their first international game. However, there is much depth to it. South Sudan, as a country that recently gained independence, has become a symbol of hope, resilience, and unity. Especially with the promising sights of the East African team’s basketball performance in the Paris Olympics, it’s definitely a story worth knowing.

The country struggled with civil wars for over half a century until it gained its independence in 2011 and formed the Republic of South Sudan. During that period, many fled the country and became refugees. Even after the independence, the country struggled with internal conflicts, poverty, and underdeveloped infrastructure. Amid this struggle, the country’s basketball movement had a steady rise and the majority of credit goes to Luol Deng, a former NBA star.

Deng, the former Chicago Bulls star, born in Sudan, left the country at a very young and moved to British before making his mark in the NBA. The 2x NBA All-Star put his league earnings to use and became a crucial part of South Sudan’s basketball growth. Deng built the necessary infrastructure from his pocket.

After a 15-season-long stint in the NBA, Luol Deng became the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation in 2019. To be more specific, it changed the landscape forever. Deng said, “For all of us, it’s a journey that’s bigger than basketball. As a young kid myself, in the NBA, I knew that a lot of young South Sudanese kids and refugees around the world were following my story. Now, it’s even more incredible when you’re doing it as a group.”

Five years from then, the team made its Olympic debut. Speaking of Deng, former LA Lakers player and South Sudanese forward, Wenyen Gabriel said, “Luol is a symbol. We watched him play in the NBA when we were kids. We all want to be like Luol.”

From the scratch to Paris Olympics

Luol Deng, after assuming the office as the president, had the daunting task of building a team from scratch. The former refugee put his blood, sweat, and personal money into developing the infrastructure and basketball courts across the country. First, he persuaded Royal Ivey, former NBA player and Houston Rockets assistant coach, to become the HC of the national team in 2021. Since then, the American-born coach has been leading the team from the front.

Following that, Deng had to build a strong roster. With the world’s youngest country in his hand, the 39-year-old didn’t have much trouble. The star assembled the former refugees and ex-NBA players and he flew in players with dual-citizenships, playing across different leagues across the globe.

Notably, the story of 17-year-old Khaman Maluach is inspiring, like every other player on the roster. The 7 ‘2 big boy fled the country at a very young and settled in Uganda with his brothers and mother. Maluach picked up a basketball at a very early age, inspired by an NBA superstar and eventually enrolled in NBA Academy Africa with a full scholarship. Now, he not only committed to Duke University but also got a chance to represent his home country.

Maluach, speaking of his opportunity, said, “The first time I went back home [after a tournament], and seeing a lot of people in one place, the fanbase and people enjoying what we were doing was really inspiring It kept me working hard so I can make my people proud back home.” 

After forming the roster, the team played their first-ever international game in AfroBasket, a continental tournament, in August 2021 after Algeria withdrew from the competition. From then on, there was no looking back. They continued to make their presence felt.

South Sudan’s path to ultimate glory

Just a few days ago, South Sudan sent a shocking statement to the world. No, they didn’t speak anything! They just played. They played so well that they symbolically let the world know where South Sudan is on the world’s map. In that exhibition game, LeBron James & Co. barely survived, with a 101-100 victory. Following the promising performance, the team got the much-deserved global attention.

The team headed into the tournament with the same momentum and crushed the Puerto Rico 90-79 win and registered their first-ever Olympics victory. Following that, the team has an opportunity to create history by defeating the overpowered Team USA in a rematch of the exhibition shocker. Royal Ivey, who said, “We’re not a secret anymore,” after the win over Puerto Rico, may even demand the media to stop calling them the ‘underdogs’.

Moreover, it’s not only Ivey, who is anticipating South Sudan’s success but also his former teammate Kevin Durant. The Slim Reaper who missed the exhibition will face the untamed Sudanese storm on Wednesday. Ahead of the challenge, KD publicly said, “Secretly, I am rooting for him just a little bit.” Will South Sudan beat all odds and win the gold medal? Let us know in the comments below.

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