South Sudan Nearly Upsets US Basketball Team in Olympic Warm-Up

South Sudan's basketball team, ranked 33rd in the world, nearly pulled off a historic upset against a star-studded United States team in an Olympic warm-up game in London on Saturday. The South Sudanese led by 14 points at halftime and held a late lead before LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, sank the game-winning layup with eight seconds remaining.

James finished with a game-high 25 points, while Joel Embiid, who became a US citizen in 2022, added 14 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Davis came off the bench to contribute 15 points and 11 rebounds.

For South Sudan, Marial Shayok led the way with 24 points, while Carlik Jones had 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. J.T. Thor, who plays for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, sank a three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining to give South Sudan a 100-99 lead.

However, James's late heroics prevented South Sudan from pulling off one of the greatest shocks in international basketball.

"The ending was good for us -- just to feel that, to feel what it's going to feel like in Paris," said US coach Steve Kerr. "Good experience for us. Good reminder that when we play against teams, it's the biggest experience of their lives and we have to expect everyone to play like that."

Kerr admitted that he did not prepare his team adequately for South Sudan's challenge. "I did not do a great job of preparing my team," he said. "We did not focus enough on what they are capable of and that's on me."

James, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time NBA champion, emphasized the importance of continuous improvement for the US team. "We have to continue to take a step forward," he said. "A lot of these teams that we're playing have been practicing either one month or months in advance and we have maybe two weeks together."

South Sudan's performance was a testament to their growing talent and potential. They will face the United States again in the Olympics group stages on July 31 at Lille.

Tags: #SouthSudanBasketball, #USABasketball, #LeBronJames, #JoelEmbiid, #AnthonyDavis