Luol Deng personally funded South Sudan Olympic debut before game vs Team USA

Before the Olympics began, South Sudan was already being praised.

LeBron James, the NBA‘s all-time leading scorer, tipped his cap to the young team and new country that almost took down Team USA in London.

Steve Kerr, head coach of the Warriors during Golden State’s dynasty, knew that his United States squad had barely escaped a packed 02 arena with a one-point victory.

“They were great,” Kerr said. “They played a wonderful game and the ending was good for us, just to feel that, to feel what it’s going to be like in Paris and Lille.”

On Tuesday night, Team USA defeated South Sudan 103-86 in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Yet it was already a victory for Luol Deng, who played 15 years in the NBA and is the primary reason that South Sudan even has a men’s basketball team trying to win a gold medal in France.

South Sudan humbled Puerto Rico 90-79 on Sunday to open Olympic play in Group C.

The 39-year-old Deng was born in Wau, in what is now known as South Sudan, and his family was displaced during the Second Sudanese Civil War.

After making his name with the Chicago Bulls, then playing for the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, the two-time All-Star and 2012 London athlete with Great Britain became directly involved with helping a new country that was recovering from violence and civil war.

“When the national anthem was sung, it just gave me goosebumps, and I realised that this was bigger than basketball,” Deng, South Sudan Basketball Federation President, told CNN.

“This is really a credit to our fans who supported us from day one. And now, we have such a huge following and huge (fanbase) that we really believe that it’s so inspiring because of the fans.

“The energy and everything that they’re bringing is inspiring everybody else to pay attention to it.”

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South Sudan shredded Team USA in London with aggressive offense and pinpoint 3-point shooting.

It was 58-44 South Sudan at the half, and Team USA was barely holding on before a crowd that featured Adele and Idris Elba.

South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey believed there was ‘contact’ on a final shot for his team that fell short and handed the United States a tense 101-100 win.

“They (Team USA) were sleepwalking in the first half,” Ivey said.

Carlik Jones played in 12 NBA games for three teams and spent last year playing in China.

Against Team USA in London, the Louisville product scored nine points in the first half and kept pace with Steph Curry.

South Sudan’s talent — which features a combination of former college, NBA and international players — is a credit to Deng’s eye as an evaluator and uniter.

A man who averaged 14.8 points in the NBA and 15.8 points for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics is also paying for the team’s expenses.

“Luol Deng has been funding this thing for four years out of his own pocket,” Ivey said. “He pays for gyms, hotels, plane tickets —everything. Kudos to Luol and the staff. We wouldn’t have been able to put this team together without them.”

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