What to know about Team USA opponent

The youngest country in the world is already making noise at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and there’s a chance it could lead to a remarkable moment.

The South Sudan men’s basketball team faces Team USA in Olympic group play on Wednesday after nearly knocking off the Americans earlier this month in an exhibition game. But the backstory of this group from South Sudan, which only became an independent country in 2011, is the kind of endearing tale that makes the Olympic Games such an enduring event.

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This is South Sudan’s first time qualifying for the Olympics in any team sport, and any sport other than track and field. It seems poised to make a great first impression. Here’s what else you should know about South Sudan’s men’s basketball team:

What happened last time Team USA and South Sudan played?

South Sudan nearly pulled off a huge upset when it played the United States in an exhibition game in London on July 20. Team USA needed a basket by LeBron James with eight seconds to go, overcoming a 16-point deficit to pull off a 101-100 win. South Sudan, who entered the game as a 43-point underdog, had re-taken the lead on a late JT Thor 3-pointer.

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ZILGITT:South Sudan men’s basketball beats odds to inspire at Olympics

Marial Shayok had 25 points for South Sudan, while guard Carlik Jones finished with a triple-double. A runner missed by Jones with four seconds left could have given South Sudan a stunning triumph.

How South Sudan made history at 2024 Paris Olympics

South Sudan won its first Olympic basketball game by beating Puerto Rico, 90-79, to begin Group C play on Sunday.

“It means everything,” Wenyen Gabriel said. “It’s a unifying moment. We’re all united through basketball right now and it’s proof of what sport can do for a country.”

HOW USA STARTED:Kevin Durant, LeBron James propel USA men’s basketball in Olympic opening win over Serbia

What is South Sudan’s nickname in men’s basketball?

The South Sudan men’s basketball team is known as the “Bright Stars,” a reference to the Bright Star campaign that began the country’s quest for liberation more than 30 years ago.

Luol Deng’s role with South Sudan basketball, explained

The former NBA All-Star is an indispensable part of South Sudan’s rise in men’s basketball. Deng, who played for five NBA teams over 15 seasons after a successful career at Duke, was named the president of the South Sudanese Basketball Federation in 2019. He has subsequently used millions of dollars of his own money to help fund the program’s rise.

“We don’t have the pleasure of having a gymnasium, dorms, and other facilities,” South Sudan coach Royal Ivey told reporters in Paris. “We had a tough training camp in Rwanda, then traveled to Spain, moving around a lot, taking long flights, and giving up exit rows to my 7-footers. These are the things people don’t talk about. They don’t see us getting delayed for seven hours in the airport while we’re in Chad.”

“Luol Deng has been funding this thing for four years out of his own pocket,” Ivey added. “He pays for gyms, hotels, plane tickets — everything. Kudos to Luol and the staff. We wouldn’t have been able to put this team together without them.”

Born in Wau, Sudan, Deng moved with his family to Egypt as a 3-year-old in the midst of the Sudanese civil war. They were later granted asylum in England and Deng eventually came to the United States after he was recruited for basketball by New Jersey’s Blair Academy. Deng also credits former NBA star Manute Bol, another Sudanese transplant, for helping teach him the game.

The Luol Deng Foundation had already been running camps throughout South Sudan before Deng assumed his current role. One of those camps, in Kampala, South Sudan, helped identify one of Duke’s top incoming recruits and 2025 NBA draft prospect, Khaman Maluach, according to ESPN.

Who is coaching South Sudan men’s basketball at 2024 Paris Olympics?

Former NBA player and current Houston Rockets assistant coach Royal Ivey is serving as the head coach of the South Sudan Olympic men’s basketball team. Ivey, who was a star for University of Texas, is a former high school teammate of Deng at Blair Academy. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, including two years with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a teammate of Kevin Durant, and helped lead the Longhorns to the Final Four under former coach Rick Barnes in 2003.

“My life is a movie right now,” Ivey remarked after South Sudan beat Puerto Rico to begin the 2024 Paris Olympics.

WHAT TO KNOW:Former Texas basketball player Royal is coaching South Sudan at 2024 Paris Olympics

NBA, college players on South Sudan roster

Many of South Sudan’s players spent much of their childhood as refugees outside of their home country due to the civil conflicts that took place prior to and after South Sudan declared its independence in 2011. There have also been some roster complications due to South Sudanese players competing for other countries in previous international events and tournaments because South Sudan either didn’t have a program yet or was in the beginning stages of fielding a national team.

Nonetheless, South Sudan is fielding roster with four players who have appeared in an NBA game during this year’s Olympic tournament. Its prominent members include:

JT Thor, Auburn forward playing for Charlotte Hornets
Wenyen Gabriel, former Kentucky forward who played for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 season
Khaman Maluach, five-star center recruit committed to play at Duke in 2024-25 season
Marial Shayok, former Virginia/Iowa State wing who played for Philadelphia 76ers in 2019-20
Carlik Jones, former Louisville guard and 2023 NBA G League MVP
Nuni Omot, former Baylor forward
Peter Jok, former Iowa guard
Majok Deng, former Louisiana-Monroe forward

What Gilbert Arenas, Paul Pierce said about South Sudan basketball

Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas faced backlash over comments made on his podcast that were deemed xenophobic after South Sudan nearly beat the United States in their exhibition game. Arenas called the South Sudan team the “Ahi Ahi tribe” before referring to it as “Cool Runnings,” referencing the eponymous movie that centered on the Jamaica bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Pierce was also critical in the wake of Team USA’s near-loss, declaring that South Sudan “probably haven’t got anyone over 6-3.”

Deng responded on Instagram, calling out Arenas and Pierce for “disrespectful” and “cruel” comments.

“Moments like this are not for us to get upset and lash out,” Deng wrote. “Many Africans and Black people who embrace their African heritage are working hard to bring all Black people closer by educating and sharing stories and historic moments, teaching that we have much more in common than differences.”

“Personally, I don’t care much,” Deng added. “I would never trade places with anyone; being African is special. However, for young African and African American kids who admire and listen to Gilbert, these comments can make you think less of yourself and make the rest of the world think less of Africans.”

Pierce and Arenas have since apologized for their remarks.

“I did my research over the weekend,” Pierce said in his apology on FS1’s “Undisputed.”

“I apologize. I’ll be watching South Sudan more because they were exciting to watch, and they really got my attention. I didn’t realize Luol Deng was from South Sudan, or Manute Bol. So, my lack of knowledge, I continue to apologize, you guys. But the reason they’re at where they’re at is because of Luol. He’s put his own money into the basketball program … this is a country that we’re gonna be seeing a lot of.”

“I respected u as a player and will as a coach (Sorry for my Disrespectful comments),” Arenas wrote to Deng on Instagram.

How to watch South Sudan vs. Team USA men’s basketball

The Olympic men’s basketball game between Team USA and South Sudan is scheduled to be broadcast Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. ET on the USA Network. The matchup can also be streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com (with a cable login) and Fubo, which covers USA Network, which offers a free trial.

Watch every Olympic event on Peacock