Thirteen years ago, South Sudan declared independence and established itself as its own nation. As the youngest country in the world, South Sudan has no indoor basketball facilities, yet they made their first Olympics this summer in Paris. The team earned its first Olympic victory on Sunday and leading the team on its first Olympic run is head coach Royal Ivey, a former NBA player and Texas alumnus.
Overcoming its opening-round opponent, South Sudan is already making history.
African countries do not have an illustrious history in Olympic basketball. However, South Sudan’s victory Sunday over Puerto Rico (90-79) created a momentous second win by an African country in basketball at the Olympics since 1996.
Though this is its first win in the Olympics, this is not the first glimpse of possible success that has been seen in the country. On July 20, South Sudan faced an Olympic powerhouse when it took on Team USA in an exhibition game. South Sudan gave the U.S. a run for its money in a game that ended in a one-point difference when Team USA defeated South Sudan 101-100.
“We’re not a secret anymore,” Ivey told ESPN after their match against Puerto Rico.
Since becoming head coach of South Sudan, Ivey has helped raise the team’s trajectory towards success. After taking over coaching in 2021, he guided the team toward an 11–1 record in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers and reached the 2023 World Cup. Ivey and the South Sudanese clinched their ticket to the Olympics after defeating Angola in September in the World Cup.
“Being at the Olympics and getting our first win — this is so surreal,” Ivey told Texas Athletics after the game. “I couldn’t experience anything better than this. This is a movie.”
Ivey was a four-year starter during his time at Texas. Revered for his perimeter defense, he was a two-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection. Ivey and the Longhorns made three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including a 2003 trip to the Final Four. After 10 seasons in the NBA as a player, he has since taken on various coaching roles. Currently, Ivey is also an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets.
“I played 10 years in the NBA and now I’m a coach,” Ivey said to Texas Athletics. “I would never have imagined that. I’m the OG, I’m the old head. I thought I’d be a school teacher or run my own prep school, but I’m a coach. All my life, people have told me that I couldn’t do this, that I wasn’t fast enough, that I wasn’t smart enough, and I continue to prove them wrong. Everything is achievable in life, and I am living proof of it.”
With their first win in the books, Ivey and the team must look forward to their next game against a familiar opponent: Team USA. In a rematch on Wednesday, July 31 at 2 p.m., South Sudan and Ivey will look to challenge the U.S. on the court once again.
