OLYMPIC GAMES

How many NBA players play for South Sudan?

South Sudan are making their Olympic basketball debut and in their second game in the tournament they will have to take on LeBron James and Team USA.

SAMEER AL-DOUMYAFP

Team USA and South Sudan are set for a group stage tussle tonight in France, and the two teams couldn’t be farther apart on the international basketball spectrum. Despite that, South Sudan already gave Team USA a scare and will be looking to one up their shocking performance from a week and a half ago tonight in Lille.

David vs. Goliath

Just a week before South Sudan made their Olympic basketball debut against Puerto Rico on Sunday, they took on Team USA and almost pulled the biggest upset in the history of international basketball. They led Team USA by as many as 16 points and had a chance to beat the Americans at the buzzer, but missed a shot that would have sent shockwaves around the world of basketball.

Steve Kerr´s side is considered one of the best teams ever assembled, with arguments floating about whether or not this current roster could beat the Dream Team of 1992. Needless to say, this squad led by LeBron James, Steph Curry and the some of the best players in the NBA is a heavy favorite to win their fifth straight gold medal for Team USA.

While Kerr has a buffet of some of the most talented players to ever step foot on a basketball court, South Sudan coach Royal Ivey has just one NBA player to pick from. That would be JT Thor, formerly of the Charlotte Hornets. Thor played the last three seasons with Charlotte, and averaged 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 63 games this past season.

Star Watch: South Sudan

Thor is not the top dog on Ivey´s squad. He usually comes off the bench like he did in the debut match against Puerto Rico. The dangermen for South Sudan are Carlik Jones and Marial Shayok. Jones was the top assist man in the 2023 World Cup and was named the G-League´s MVP that same year after scoring 26.1 points a game. He has played a combined 12 games in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets.

Marial Shayok plays in China with the Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin, but before that he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2nd round of the 2019 NBA Draft. He played 4 games with the Sixers that year, and then started his basketball journey around the world, playing in Turkey and then returning to the G-League and will have his sights set on China after the Olympics.

Right now both of these two South Sudan heroes have their sights set on the Olympics and Team USA, specifically. Jones had a stunning triple-double against the US in the exhibition 10 days ago, and Shayok hit 6-12 threes and finished the game with 24 points. They have their first win of the Olympics already and are looking to shock the world again tonight, and remember they are doing this with out the nation’s biggest star Bol Bol of the Phoenix Suns who missed the Olympics for personal reasons.

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