“Travesty”: Olympics Basketball Refs Under Scrutiny As South Sudan’s Royal Ivey Demands Justice

Whether it is a typical NBA game or an international one, displeasure with refereeing calls is bound to pop up at some point. Unfortunately, that’s become the reality. After Anthony Davis recently went viral for disagreeing with an on-court official, the recent game between South Sudan and Serbia saw a repeat, but at a larger magnitude. Serbia recorded its 2nd win in the 2024 Paris Olympics, however, it was a close one since both teams were neck-to-neck. A series of officiating decisions played a noticeable role in leading Nikola Jokic and Co. to have an advantage, a fact that South Sudan’s head coach, Royal Ivey, was not happy about.

Ivey argued with the referees throughout the game. The coach even ended up receiving a technical foul, in light of the same. After his team’s loss, 96-85, Royal did not choose to just sit back without a protest. He voiced his displeasure straightaway, saying, “What a travesty! What a travesty! My guys put their heart and soul into the game, and what a travesty! That’s all I’ve got to say.”

Ivey would later add to his previous remarks, stating, “I’m not one to complain or bicker about calls and stuff. But this was blatant,” he said via BasketNews. His complaints emerged after Serbia was granted over 31 free throws as a result of foul calls. Meanwhile, South Sudan was only granted 6! The African team’s 23 fouls were almost on par with the European team’s 17 and Royal Ivey was nothing short of “baffled” at the huge 31-6 gap, demanding an explanation to be made in light of this incident.

In recent hours, Royal Ivey’s protest has received some noticeable support. Amongst the first people to agree with the head coach’s assessment was former NBA player and South Sudan Basketball Federation’s president Luol Deng. In a statement, he claimed, “It’s a narrative and a stigma that’s out there that African players are aggressive… I don’t know why there’s no African referees in the Olympics. It’s 2024.”

He indicated that his team’s ‘aggressive’ gameplay style was not welcomed at the Olympics, and asked whether playing at the international stage is “just the European style and we’re not allowed to be aggressive?”

Having lost 2 of their three matchups, South Sudan’s Olympic journey has unfortunately now come to an end. Made up of 3 “founding fathers” of the African nation’s basketball, the dark horses failed to leave a major mark in their first-ever Olympic appearance. While South Sudan fans may end up missing these experiences, the Royal Ivey-Kevin Durant verbal spar will go down as a core memory.

Royal Ivey and Kevin Durant’s moments of “brotherly love” during the Team USA-South Sudan game

Just like Luol Deng, Royal Ivey had spent his share of years playing in the NBA before getting into coaching. During his two-year stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ivey was with one prominent NBA star: Kevin Durant. 12 years after his exit, the duo met again with Royal positioned as South Sudan’s head coach, while KD represented Team USA as the most experienced Olympian on the squad. This reunion, however, did not turn out to be as pleasant as some would have been expecting.

During the exhibition series, South Sudan had come quite close to securing a win against the star-studded US roster. However, they found it hard to be on the same level in the Olympics. The key difference was Durant, who was brought back to the lineup, having recovered from his prior injury. During the second half of the game, KD was shockingly filmed saying, “Y’all n****s ain’t tough.”

Later on, Royal Ivey added some more context, indicating that at the end of the day, it was all in good jest. “They were fouling, and he got fouled, and he was like, ‘Play basketball!’ And I’m like, ‘How are we supposed to play basketball? You are all playing touch like it’s football.’ So, we exchanged a couple of words, and I moved on,” the head coach admitted.

“At the end of the day, that’s all brotherly love, and I love that dude. And you know, the feeling is mutual.” The love between the former teammates is definitely mutual. During a press conference, Kevin Durant also indicated the same by stating “Royal Ivey’s a brother to me, somebody who has impacted my life in different ways even outside of the game of basketball.”

However, in a tournament like the Olympics, things are bound to get heated. This can bring out unwarranted reactions, don’t you think?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.