South Sudan is the world's youngest nation but has already accomplished quite a major basketball feat. That happened when it knocked off Puerto Rico in Saturday's opening day of Olympics hoops.
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"South Sudan is unbeaten in the Olympic basketball tournament," wrote Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. "First game, first win for the youngest nation in the world. It's only the second win for an African country at the Olympics since 1996."
Carlik Jones led the way with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the 90-79 win. Basically, this a great story and one that is thrilling the hoops world.
Next up for the South Sudanese: Powerful Team USA on Wednesday.
They already met once, in an exhibition game last week, and despite being 43-point underdogs, South Sudan lost by one on a late layup from LeBron James.
Carlik Jones was the main character in South Sudan´s first-ever WIN in the Olympics😤🇸🇸 #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/6kmUNqGCLz
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) July 28, 2024
Jones, an unrestricted free agent, put up a triple-double in that game to the tune of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Perhaps his phone will start ringing with NBA GMs at the other end. Same goes for forward JT Thor, who buried a 3-pointer to give South Sudan a 100-99 lead just before James' heroics.
"South Sudan could lose the next two games and still qualify for the quarterfinals," Sierra wrote. "No African country has EVER made it to the quarterfinals in Olympics basketball history (men or women). History in the making?"
South Sudan became an independent nation on July 9, 2011.
Per CNN:
"Not bad for a country that has only officially existed for 13 years and has no indoor basketball facilities.
"Among those making their national team debuts at the tournament was Wenyen Gabriel, who's had multiple stints in the NBA for the likes of the Los Angles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans."
(Portions of this article appeared on Hoops Wire and were republished with permission.)
