Seventeen-year-old South Sudan center and projected 2025 NBA lottery pick Khaman Maluach recently expressed his gratitude to be enjoying an Olympic experience so early in his career, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The 7’2″ big man will play for Duke in the fall.
“To me, this whole experience is sometimes feels like I’m living in a dream at 17 years old. Big dreams. And I’m just a small-town kid chasing big dreams in the big city,” Maluach told Spears.
As Spears notes, South Sudan only gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. The country does not yet have a single indoor basketball court, but that didn’t stop it from qualifying for the Olympics this year.
“Right now, we’re going to celebrate our win, be grateful for our first Olympic game and our first win,” Maluach said after Team South Sudan bested Team Puerto Rico on Sunday, 90-79. “So, I’m going to celebrate until 12 midnight. We put this game aside and get ready for the next game.”
Following South Sudan’s loss to Team USA on Wednesday, the team can qualify for the quarterfinals either with a win over Serbia on Sunday or with some tiebreaker luck in the event of a Sunday loss.
There’s more out of the Olympics:
- Former two-time All-Star Luol Deng, who has been self-funding South Sudan’s basketball program since 2021, is watching his vision for the team get fully realized in these Olympics, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “Every time we play, the whole nation stops to watch us play,” head coach Royal Ivey said. “We’re bringing them together. We’re uniting the fans and the people of South Sudan. And that’s way bigger than wins and losses.” According to Thompson, Deng was offered front office work by his old team, the Bulls, as well as the Bucks after he retired in 2019. But he felt the pull to return to South Sudan and build up the basketball club. “It was never about being famous or making money and leaving home,” Deng said of his NBA career. “It was all about being successful and returning home. So it’s kind of cool that I can come back and get things done now — which is just, in a way, it’s a dream come true.”
- Eastern Conference All-Stars Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid are undergoing a rare-for-them humbling experience through Team USA’s group play games, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Both have been healthy scratches for one of the club’s two group play blowout victories at the Paris Olympics. Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has too. “Definitely a humbling experience, right?” Tatum said. “Win a championship, new contract, cover of (NBA) 2K (video game) and then you sit a whole game. Cover of Sports Illustrated. So it was definitely a humbling experience.”
- After playing a few unexpectedly close tune-up games prior to the official start of the Olympics, a loaded Team USA looked vulnerable against a field with more NBA talent than ever. Two games into the pool play phase, the U.S. has left little doubt that it’s by far the best club out there, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Head coach Steve Kerr‘s multifaceted team has looked virtually unbeatable since Kevin Durant returned to the lineup. The Suns All-NBA forward had missed all five of Team USA’s exhibition matchups with a calf strain.
Jayson Tatum is too full of himself. Cover of 2k? Woooooowwwww yeah you should definitely be a starter for the rest of your life because of that. Cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED? Oh wow my highness, why didnt you say so before? KD is a LEGEND and he is coming off the bench and not saying a word…I guess we can see the difference and why Tatum wasnt the FMVP he aint no leader
“Jayson Tatum is full of himself” The dude literally said it was a humbling experience.
This article doesn’t begin to cover the entire interview either, he went on to say-
“It’s a unique situation and it’s not about one individual player,” Tatum said. “The competitor in you wants to play, obviously. But I’m not here to make a story, making it about myself. We won.
“I was just glad to get back out there and play again. There was a lot of chatter over the last few days but I was in good spirits, I had a good attitude about it. I’m not holding any grudges or anything.”
KD…is this you using yet another burner account? Get off your phone.
Self mute
Why are you acting as if KD is the only person on the team?! Pretty sure d.White got about 14 minutes that could have went to Tatum.
well to be fair, he is having a pretty amazing year.
He did win the championship. I would give him a little slack.
Just as a reminder, since it was only 3 months ago, Tatum sacrificed his offensive game and lead Boston in rebounds, played solid D, and maxed his assists and blocks per game to help Boston win a ring. That sounds very Leader like.
Just a small-town boyyyyy, born and raised in South Suuuudaaaaaan
For real, though, its awesome that international play showcases talent for all over the world.
Send them to Detroit
Maluach could wind up going there in next year’s draft.
Next game bench Lebron the entire time……see how that goes
He’d probably quit and head home.
Sitting Lebron may even be beneficial to the team when he’s had 12 turnovers in two games and his defense has been atrocious. Just in the SSD game alone he gave up at least 12pts on defense and those are just the plays that I remember.
He got beat from out beyond the 3pt line for a poster dunk early in the first then gave up a fallaway corner three soon after, fell on his butt right at the arc where his guy just drained a three standing over him and there were two baskets inside the arc that he half-heartedly watched the SSD player make.
Steph hasn’t been all that great shooting the ball either with 5/17 overall with 3/13 from three. Neither of those two players would show any humility if they were the ones asked to sit aside, their egos just wouldn’t allow it.
Looks like a great decision to keep Kevin Durant on the team, right?
And Jayson’s not making his threes right now, so another good move.
And Embiid is ball dominant so not as good with a bunch of stars.
Gotta give Coach Kerr kudos!
Royal Ivey a solid defensive guard for the Clippers and other teams. Kind of Garrett Temple but better. But somewhat that profile of player. Excellent coach for SSD, has been doing a great job