South Sudan might have been a mystery to the basketball world, and the world in general.
But attention, curiosity and respect suddenly flooded the country, following its historic victory in men’s basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday.
“We’re not a secret anymore,” South Sudan’s coach Royal Ivey said after the game.
The Group C match versus Puerto Rico, who had previously won by five points in their last encounter at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, wasn’t an easy one for the newcomers.
Even before tip-off, the venue officials played the wrong national anthem for South Sudan at Pierre Mauroy Stadium.
Yet the tough South Sudanese saw the national anthem incident as a motivation for the game.
“It gave us fuel for the fire. We felt disrespected when that happened. We still have to earn our respect. We just have to continue to show the world what we’re capable of. That incident was a testament to people still not respecting us, so we took that as fuel,” said forward Nuni Omot.
Trailing 8-0 at the beginning of the game, the Olympic debutants managed to defuse every run generated by Puerto Rico’s sharpshooters Tremont Waters and Jose Alvarado, coming from behind to clinch a 90-79 victory.
For South Sudan, making their first appearance at the Olympic Games and securing their first victory was more than just a win on the basketball court—it was a powerful symbol of national unity and resilience.
“Growing up, at first, we didn’t have the country, you know?” South Sudan forward Wenyen Gabriel, formerly with the Los Angeles Lakers, said after their historic win.
“This is a moment that makes us proud. It’s a moment of unity. We are now united through basketball, proving the impact sports can have on a nation,” Gabriel said.
“We’re going out there to represent something bigger than ourselves and that’s known at every single point that we’re out there,” he added.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence in 2011 and has since grappled with internal conflict, poverty and underdeveloped infrastructure.
Many national team players either left the country as children or were born as refugees, reflecting the broader struggles of their homeland. The remarkable rise of South Sudanese basketball can be largely attributed to Luol Deng. From 2004 to 2014, Deng shone in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, earning All-Star honors in 2012 and 2013.
In 2019, Deng became the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation, marking the beginning of a new era for the nation’s basketball program.
As a former refugee, Deng played a crucial role in assembling the South Sudanese team, including persuading former NBA player and Houston Rockets assistant coach Roy Ivey to become the team’s head coach.