You know, lemme tell ya somethin’ ’bout that Kuol from South Sudan and their basketball team. Now, they call themselves the Bright Stars, ain’t that somethin’? They just had their first ever Olympic game over there in Paris, and lemme tell ya, it was a big deal for ’em. They went up against Puerto Rico, and whaddya know, they won by 9 points! Final score was 90-79. It ain’t no small thing for a country that’s never been to them big Games before. That fella Kuol, he said the whole country felt like one, all united, just like a family reunion when everyone shows up, bringin’ their best dishes.
Now, this young man Bul Kuol, he’s somethin’ special. You see, Kuol was born back in South Sudan, and when he was still just a kid, he went and moved with his family all the way to Australia in 2006. That boy’s journey ain’t been easy, but here he is now, standin’ tall in them Paris courts. The folks call their team the Bright Stars, and now I get why. This win ain’t just ’bout the game, it’s like they lit up the whole country, shinin’ bright for all to see.
Oh, lemme tell ya somethin’ else, this team got some serious talent. They got two NBA fellas, Carlik Jones and Wenyen Gabriel, on the roster. And another youngin’ named JT Thor, he played a few seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. Y’all see, these ain’t no small-town boys playin’ out there. Even the coach, Royal Ivey, he spent 11 seasons in the NBA and now he’s a coach with them Houston Rockets. So ya know this team’s got some strong hands guidin’ ’em.
Them South Sudan boys, they ain’t strangers to tough times. Last year, when they went up against the big boys in the FIBA Men’s World Cup, they came out as the top-ranking African side. That’s what got ’em a spot here in the Olympics. And just last weekend in London, they almost beat the USA in a warm-up match. Almost, I tell ya! They came within seconds of makin’ history again. That’s somethin’ to be mighty proud of, if ya ask me.
But, lemme get back to that big game in Paris. Them Puerto Ricans, they got some good shooters, no doubt ’bout that. But in that game, the Bright Stars, they started off slow, goin’ 0 for 4 from the field. You know how it is when you’re nervous, right? Just like tryin’ to milk a cow that don’t know ya. But once they got their rhythm, there was no stoppin’ ‘em. They kept fightin’, and before ya knew it, they were hittin’ shots and playin’ tight defense, till they came out on top with that 90-79 win.
Kuol, he ain’t just playin’ for himself, no sir. He said after the game that this win was more than just a game, it was ’bout unitin’ the country. Now, that’s somethin’. In tough times, sports can really bring people together. Makes folks forget ’bout their troubles for a while, and cheerin’ for the same team, it just gives folks a little bit of hope, ya know?
The whole of South Sudan is beamin’ with pride now, and I can’t blame ’em. It’s like when you see your grandkid walk for the first time. Ya can’t stop smilin’, and ya wanna tell everybody ’bout it. That’s how these folks must be feelin’ right now. The country might’ve been through a lot, but with them Bright Stars shinin’ over there in Paris, they got somethin’ to look forward to.
And y’all remember, this is just the beginnin’. With them NBA fellas on the team, and Coach Ivey bringin’ in all that experience, I reckon we gonna hear a lot more ‘bout them Bright Stars in the future. They’re like that old tree that finally starts bearin’ fruit after years of strugglin’. Ya wait long enough, and one day it just starts bloomin’. That’s how it is with South Sudan basketball right now. So keep an eye on them Bright Stars, ’cause I reckon they got more shinin’ to do.
Tags: [South Sudan Basketball, Kuol South Sudan, Bright Stars, South Sudan Olympic Basketball, Bul Kuol, FIBA Men’s World Cup]
