Olympics: South Sudan Bright Stars vs. Team USA for Group C Supremacy

South Sudan’s Bright Stars will clash with Team USA in a highly anticipated Group C matchup at the Olympics.

This game marks South Sudan’s second Olympic appearance. They shocked the world by defeating Puerto Rico for their first-ever win.

Led by LeBron James and Stephen Curry, Team USA narrowly beat South Sudan in a recent exhibition game. Both teams come off impressive wins in their opening matches.

The showdown for the top spot in Group C takes place on Wednesday, July 31, at 9 PM UTC +2.

South Sudan’s Bright Stars will play Team USA in their second game at the Olympics, aiming for a big win.

South Sudan Bright Stars vs. Team USA- Training and Preparations

LeBron James and his teammates trained in Paris on Tuesday for the upcoming game. US guard Stephen Curry spoke about the challenge, mentioning an “appropriate fear.”

The US narrowly defeated South Sudan in an exhibition game on July 20th.

“If you don’t get excited just by being here, it doesn’t matter who you are playing. We know we can’t just sleepwalk through any game and expect to play well, let alone win,” Curry said. “We’re beatable if we don’t play our game. But if we do, we have a lot of confidence we can beat everybody.”

Match History and Key Players

Both South Sudan and the US won their first matches. Joel Embiid was booed by French fans during the US team’s opener.

He chose to play with the US instead of France or Cameroon. “I said, I’m American. I’m playing with Team USA. So, it’s nothing.”

The clash for Group C’s top spot is on Wednesday, July 31, at 9 PM UTC +2.

South Sudan is the only African team in the Olympic men’s basketball tournament. The Bright Stars stunned Puerto Rico 90-79 for their first-ever Olympic basketball win in the 33rd Olympiad.

Significance of the Match

For the U.S., this is no big deal, as they have been to the Olympics 19 times and medaled every time.

For South Sudan, it’s a big deal—first Olympics, first win, and the world’s eyes are on them to see if their near-upset of the Americans two weeks ago was a fluke.

“Obviously, we’re very confident,” said South Sudan’s Nuni Omot. “We’re going to continue to play our game. Continue to defend. Anything is possible. It’s basketball at the end of the day. We all work hard. We all do the same thing. Just to be able to go up against a team like that, it’s a big test.”

Historical Context and Challenges

The journey to Paris is a story itself. Two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng, who runs the South Sudan program, spent some of his personal wealth—his NBA contracts totaled about $175 million—to cover team expenses.

The team doesn’t have a training site in South Sudan. The players fly coach and face delays, like a seven-hour one in Rwanda.

Despite these challenges, they did well enough at the World Cup last summer to earn the Olympic spot and nearly beat the US on their way to France.

“For us, just being here is a massive accomplishment,” said forward Kuany Kuany. “So, we just want to enjoy it, make the most of it, have fun and show everybody what South Sudan’s about.”

Bright Star’s NBA-experienced players, like Carik Jones and Wenyen Gabriel, have propelled the team’s run to the 2024 Olympics.

South Sudan’s Background

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a long conflict. Then, a civil war broke out two years later, leaving nearly 400,000 dead and more than 4 million displaced.

Despite a 2018 peace deal, clashes continue in South Sudan, the economy is fragile, and human rights groups warn of food insecurity for millions.

The long-awaited election was supposed to be held in February 2023 but is now slated for December.

Key Player to Watch in South Sudan Bright Stars

There will be no overlooking South Sudan on Wednesday. In their last meeting, the U.S. needed a layup from LeBron James with 8 seconds left to avoid what would have been the most surprising loss in major international basketball history.

South Sudan’s best player this summer has been Carlik Jones. He has NBA experience—12 games of it.

Yet, he dropped a triple-double on the Americans in London. If the Olympic campaign was a movie, sports commentators say he would be the plot twist.

The faceoff between South Sudan’s Bright Stars and Team USA for Group C’s top spot promises to be an exciting match.

Fans worldwide will be watching to see if South Sudan can pull off an upset against the experienced American team.