Luol Deng exclusive - 2023 FIBA World Cup: "It’s not about basketball, it’s about South Sudan"
Before South Sudan booked their place at Paris 2024, national basketball federation president Luol Deng spoke to The Olympics.com Podcast about South Sudanese basketball and why it's so special to be competing on the global stage.
Basketball
Luol Deng led the singing in the dressing room after FIBA World Cup debutants South Sudan defeated Angola in Manila to book their spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Two-time NBA All-Star Deng, who is the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation, was already immensely proud of the team's achievements as he told The Olympics.com Podcast in an episode.
Deng said, "In three years, we went 11-1 for the World Cup which is the best record by any African team,” he said. “We’re the first team ever to make it to the World Cup on their first try. No one just comes and says, 'I'm going to try for the World Cup,' and they happen to make it.
"We're the first team in the history of basketball to make the World Cup, I believe, without an indoor court in their country.
“There's a lot that I could say to it. But it's also exciting because it allows us to show the potential of South Sudan.
He added, "It makes me so happy now that everyone is excited about the World Cup. For a long time, we've been a nation where the World Cup is happening - whether it's football, basketball or whatever it is, the Olympics is happening - and we're occupied with other things. Now we're having conversations where we're sitting at the same table as all the other 32 teams.
"And whenever that conversation comes up, no matter where you are in the world and someone says, ‘World Cup’, South Sudanese just jump in and start talking with pride about their team. We haven't had that. It's amazing to see and exciting."
How Luol Deng ended up masterminding South Sudan's FIBA World Cup adventure
Born in Wau, South Sudan, in 1985, Deng and his eight siblings fled the country for Egypt shortly before his father, Aldo Deng, a Sudanese government official, was reportedly jailed following a coup in the country.
After three months in prison, Deng’s father was granted political asylum in the United Kingdom with his family later able to join him. While living in London, Deng was spotted by an American basketball scout who offered the then 14-year-old a scholarship to an academy in New Jersey.
The move springboarded him to the NBA, where he was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, and went on to play for the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LA Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, in addition to representing Great Britain internationally including the London 2012 Olympics. But even as he forged a new life outside Africa, Deng never let South Sudan leave him.
Having grown up in countries a world away from his homeland, Deng only learnt about the South Sudanese culture and traditions through his family members. Home was always painted as a positive place and somewhere they would all eventually return to.
“We always lived our life prepared that one day we'll go back,” Deng explained. “I think that's why I always believe in giving back and knowing that there's a lot of people that you know back home that need everything that we're providing.”
After retirement, the opportunity arose for Deng to take on the presidency of South Sudan Basketball and he grasped it with both hands.
AfroBasket and the World Cup, all once dreams of Deng's, came into view with the Olympic Games now even a possibility for the team ranked 62nd in the world.
"With anything that you do, to take it from A to B is a huge step," Deng said about the team making the World Cup: "It speaks a lot about our players, about our talent, about our coaches, about how hard the people in our office worked."
Luol Deng: "We have guys that have been hungry for this"
Ahead of the Bright Stars' first game on 26 August, Deng said audiences could expect something special from the side.
“We play hard. We really play hard. We believe in each other. We play as a team,” the former NBA player said, sharing the qualities entrenched in the players.
“We know that the World Cup is not going to be easy. It's our first one, but we know that we have guys that have been hungry for this and they're going to play hard.
“Guys like our captain Kuany [Ngor] Kuany, who's everything that we stand for in terms of professionalism, putting the country first, putting his teammates first. This is a guy that fled as a refugee to Australia, came back, and played.
“We also have guys like Nuni Omot, and Nuni just won the MVP in BAL (Basketball Africa League). And he's such a unique player that for me, I really believe that he's a pro. He's probably our best scorer, but what's unique about him is Nuni was born outside of South Sudan because of the war, but he's always felt connected to South Sudan.
“There's a lot of teams that we'll be playing that will have a lot of coaches and staff and players that are returning and that always helps. That's an advantage. But for us, we've made it. We want to go out there and compete and then try to win every game that we play, just like we have been, but leave it all out there.”
“We're a bunch of guys who just care about the win because of what it brings to the nation. It's not about basketball, it's about South Sudan.” - Luol Deng to The Olympics.com Podcast
South Sudan achieve Paris dream on FIBA World Cup debut
South Sudan were drawn in Group B of the 2023 FIBA World Cup alongside Serbia, People’s Republic of China and Puerto Rico.
Deng conceded, "I think in that group we're the least favourite. You have Serbia, who's been there many times and have won it. You have Puerto Rico, [who] have so many professional players, and you have China that goes every time. I even played China in the Olympics and they're always good and they always play hard.
“We're coming in to play hard and play basketball, but the respect for all these teams is there, you know. I know guys in Puerto Rico, the team and I know how good they are. China the same thing, and you know Serbia, everybody knows."
The team experienced heartbreak in their opener against Puerto Rico, leading by seven points with less than four minutes remaining before going down 101-96 in overtime.
Then came an 89-69 win over China, before a 115-83 defeat to Serbia extinguished their quarter-final hopes.
But that one victory gave South Sudan a chance of earning a Paris 2024 spot as the the highest-ranked African team at the tournament.
Speaking in the podcast, Deng - who represented Team GB at London 2012 - said the Olympic Games were not the primary focus for the side.
“I'm trying my hardest and so are the coaches and the players to just focus on one game at a time,” Deng said.
“I know it's easy to say this. It's in the back of my mind, don't get me wrong. But the more you shift your energy and your focus to the team and the task ahead of you the better you will do. If you skip you’ll be surprised. You never accomplish any dreams by just thinking."
And almost predicting what would happen, he added, "We’ve got to lock in and not let people pull us away from it. People will sweet-talk you. People will say, you know, 'The Olympics is here,' this and that. And then all of a sudden you become the team that disappointed everyone. So, our main mission is really the World Cup."
As it was, South Sudan disappointed no one.
In the 17th-32nd classification games, the Bright Stars defeated home favourites Philippines 87-68 in Manila with Carlik Jones just one rebound away from the competition's first ever triple-double.
That left them needing to defeat Angola in their final game, and hoping New Zealand could either beat Egypt or keep the Pharaohs' winning margin to a minimum.
Jones was in top form once again as South Sudan won 101-78, and Egypt's narrow defeat secured their passage to Paris.
Hundreds watched the match on big screens back home in the capital Juba, and that national pride will only grow ahead of the team's Olympic debut next year.