Paris Olympics: South Sudan making the most of first Summer Games

Members of the South Sudan team pose after they defeated Puerto Rico in a men’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — South Sudan has made the most so far of its Olympic debut in men’s basketball. The African nation topped Puerto Rico 90-79 on Sunday in its first game.

“We’re not a secret anymore,” South Sudan coach Royal Ivey said afterward.

Next up is a rematch with the U.S. on Tuesday. The two met in an exhibition game and South Sudan nearly pulled off a stunning upset. South Sudan qualified for the Olympics by virtue of its performance at the World Cup last year, finishing as the best African team.

READ: South Sudan nearly beat Team USA and here’s how it happened

The national federatoin is led by former NBA player Luol Deng.

Some tidbits about the team:

Who is head coach Royal Ivey?

Ivey is an assistant with the NBA’s Houston Rockets who spent 10 years in the NBA as a player. The New York native started coaching in 2014 in the NBA developmental league before having stints with the Knicks and Nets. He got the South Sudan job in 2021 and has led them ever since.

READ: LeBron James saves Team USA from upset, escapes South Sudan

What happened with South Sudan’s national anthem?

There was a mistake made before the game against Puerto Rico when the wrong anthem was played for South Sudan. A recorded track was played for 20 seconds which wasn’t the African nation’s anthem before it was stopped.

The South Sudanese players and their fans first stood confused, prompting fans of both teams inside Lille’s Pierre Mauroy Stadium to boo. They then started clapping as Sudan’s players stood in unison with their hands over their hearts watching for the issue to be reconciled.

What was the deal with South Sudan’s opening ceremony outfits?
South Sudan, playing in the Olympics 13 years after emerging from a civil war to become an independent nation, wore black double-breasted suits with gold buttons and graphic details to the opening ceremonies.

Who are the players?

The team has a few former NBA players on it. Wenyen Gabriel briefly played with LeBron James and the Lakers in 2022 and Carlik Jones bounced around with a few teams including Dallas, Denver and Chicago. Jones had a triple-double in the one-point exhibition loss to the U.S.