The South Sudan basketball team just gave their U.S. counterparts an unforgettable game – and a wake-up call.
It was the pre-Olympic exhibition match held between South Sudan and the USA in London, on Saturday (July 20, 2024).
Led by LeBron James, Team USA men’s basketball may have thought the showcase against South Sudan would be a walk-over, but they were forced to dig deep, and finally only triumphed by just a single point.
It was touch-and-go during this penultimate warm-up before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. South Sudan led by as many 16 points, had a 58-44 halftime lead and still owned a double-digit lead midway through the third quarter. South Sudan led 100-99 with 20 seconds to play and had a chance for a monumental upset on the game’s final shot.
However, last minute, Team USA stormed back with a massive third quarter to claim a 101-100 win over a South Sudan team that fielded just one current NBA player.
South Sudan used Saturday’s game to serve notice that they are capable of shaking up any team at the Paris Olympics – and they will notably meet again with the U. S. in Group C, in just under two weeks.
This is quite a remarkable achievement for an African team that is made up almost exclusively of refugees and children of refugees.
And note this: While the U.S. is ranked No. 1., South Sudan is the 33rd-ranked team in the FIBA world rankings, by far the lowest of any of the 12 nations that will be vying for men’s basketball gold at the Paris Olympics that start tomorrow.
The Bright Stars of South Sudan qualified for the Olympics as the Best African team at last year’s World Cup. This is clearly a historic achievement they are looking to build on in Paris.
Reading Resources
- 7 Strange Competitive Advantages Of An Underdog Mindset [Forbes]
- The Advantages of Embracing an Underdog Mentality [Redline Group]
- Why The “Underdog Mentality” is Key to Business Success [Ted W. Rollins]
- Numeris  Média is officially accredited media to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games