Qualifying for the Olympics has made South Sudan a compelling story on the international sports stage. Having only become an independent state in 2011, South Sudan holds the distinction of being the world’s youngest country. Its recent history is marred by decades of violent civil war, both before and after its founding. Despite these challenges, South Sudan’s strong performance in the 2023 FIBA World Cup secured their first-ever Olympic appearance, where they have continued to impress against teams with more resources, history, and top-level talent.
The South Sudan Basketball Federation is spearheaded by former NBA star Luol Deng, who initially served as head coach before hiring former NBA player Royal Ivey to replace him in 2021. Under Ivey’s leadership, the team boasts a 6-4 record in FIBA tournaments and a 19-6 record in qualification rounds. Their tenacity was on full display earlier this month when they pushed Team USA to the limit in a narrow 101-100 loss in a pre-Olympic friendly. They carried this momentum into their Olympic debut, making history.
In their opening match, despite a mishap where Olympic organizers accidentally played the wrong national anthem, the South Sudanese team rallied to defeat Puerto Rico, 90-79. Veteran guards Carlik Jones and Marial Shayok led the charge, combining for 34 points against a team that included current NBA player Jose Alvarado.
South Sudan’s Olympic roster features several players with NBA experience:
JT Thor – Currently a free agent after completing his rookie contract with the Charlotte Hornets, who selected him with the No. 37 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Thor appeared in 165 games over three seasons, averaging 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in just over 12 minutes per game.
Wenyen Gabriel – The player with the second-most NBA experience on the roster, Gabriel has played 150 games for the Kings, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Nets, Clippers, Lakers, and Grizzlies. His best season was in 2022-23 with the Lakers, where he averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, shooting 59.6 percent from the field.
Marial Shayok – Drafted by the 76ers with the No. 54 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Shayok played four games for Philadelphia.
Carlik Jones – Despite going undrafted, Jones appeared in 12 NBA games over two seasons with the Nuggets, Mavericks, and Bulls after a notable college career at Radford and Louisville.
Khaman Maluach – A promising 17-year-old talent, Maluach is the No. 4-ranked recruit in this year’s incoming NCAA freshman class and is set to play for Duke. He is projected as the No. 11 pick in an early 2025 NBA Mock Draft by FanSided’s Chris Kline.
South Sudan faces a crucial week ahead, with matches against Team USA on Wednesday, July 31, and Serbia on Saturday, August 3. To advance to the knockout round, they will likely need to secure at least one victory from these challenging encounters.
