Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas has been slammed for a ‘xenophobic’ rant directed at Team USA star Joel Embiid and South Sudan’s national basketball team after it nearly upset the Americans in London.
Team USA defeated South Sudan in an Olympic tune-up on Saturday 101-100, needing a LeBron James lay-up with under 10 seconds to go to secure the win. South Sudan was a 43.5 underdog heading into the exhibition.
The Americans trailed South Sudan by double digits for long stretches of the game, with many believing the four-time defending Gold medalists were not playing up to their potential.
Arenas, one of James’ first rivals in the NBA as younger members of the Wizards and Cavaliers respectively, has taken exception with the USA’s performance in London before a rematch with South Sudan takes place in Paris.
‘The males almost lost to some Africans. And “The King” had to save us,’ Arenas said in a TikTok video referring to James.
Gilbert Arenas has been slammed for a ‘xenophobic’ rant about Team USA and South Sudan
Arenas said Embiid (No. 11) threw the game to his ‘cousins’ among other distasteful comments
Arenas also made the motion of a blowgun to refer to South Sudan and how it was insulting to lose a basketball game to someone from that culture.
‘We almost lost to the Ahi Ahi tribe. This is crazy, Embiid over there, throwing the game for his cousins and s***,’ Arenas continued.
Arenas targeting Embiid is suspect, due to him making his national team debut for the Paris Olympics after denying France and Cameroon for the chance to play for Team USA.
Arenas also said it was embarrassing to nearly lose to the ‘Cool Runnings’ team, a reference to the 1993 movie based on the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Before the end of his rant, Arenas made a dig at the quality of life in South Sudan again, saying they ‘get their shoes from America’.
‘They don’t even have basketball rims, dog,’ Arenas concluded. ‘They shooting on peach baskets in dirt, no shoes.’
Team USA’s rematch against South Sudan takes place July 31.
