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Despite being ranked 33rd in the World with only four of their players having NBA experience, the South Sudanese matched Team USA, who had to thank Lebron James for bailing them out.
Team USA stars Lebron James, Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry have admitted at escaping a close shave after narrowly edging out South Sudan 101-100 in a warm-up friendly in London on Saturday.
The game, which took place on Saturday, saw South Sudan lead 58-42 in the second quarter and maintain a 14-point advantage into halftime.
However, a strong comeback from the USA, highlighted by a 16-0 run to end the third quarter, set the stage for a dramatic finish.
LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, and Stephen Curry, key players for Team USA, expressed their admiration for South Sudan's impressive performance.
James sealed the victory for the USA with a crucial lay-up with just eight seconds remaining, bringing his total to 23 points for the game.
“The match was super important because we feel like we can’t be beaten and they showed us we can be beat,” said USA guard Anthony Edwards. “We have to come ready to play.”
James, a two-time Olympic champion, relished the challenge posed by South Sudan. "That was better than the blowouts, at least we got tested - I like getting tested, baby," said the 39-year-old veteran.
"It's basketball. It happens. You want to play perfect every game; it doesn't happen. But can you dig deep and do the little things that help you win? Offense can come and go, but defense is the thing that helps you win championships, medals, all that stuff."
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry also acknowledged the quality of the opposition. "It's basketball. It happens," Curry said.
"You want to play perfect every game; it doesn't happen. But can you dig deep and do the little things that help you win? Offense can come and go, but defense is the thing that helps you win championships, medals, all that stuff."
The game saw South Sudan, ranked 33rd in the world, put on a remarkable display against the world’s number one team.
Marial Shayok scored a game-high 25 points for South Sudan, and Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor hit a crucial three-pointer that put his team ahead 100-99 in the final moments.
South Sudan's performance was a testament to their growing prowess on the international stage. This summer, they will participate in their first-ever Olympic Games, where they will face Team USA again in Group C on July 31.
Team USA, filled with some of the NBA's greatest talents, has now won all four of their pre-Olympic exhibition games, although they have faced significant challenges along the way.
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They struggled to put away Australia (98-92) and fell behind early against Serbia and Canada before securing double-digit wins (105-79 and 86-72, respectively).
Despite these close encounters, the USA remains focused on securing their fifth consecutive men's basketball gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Their final warm-up game will be against Germany at the O2 on Monday, before they kick off their Olympic campaign against Serbia on July 28. They will lock horns with South Sudan again and then Puerto Rico in the group.
The narrow victory against South Sudan has served as a wake-up call for Team USA. "The match was super important because we feel like we can’t be beaten and they showed us we can be beat," said Edwards. "We have to come ready to play."
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