JUBA (South Sudan) - Nearly five years after South Sudan announced their arrival on the continental scene at a qualifying tournament in 2020 in Nairobi, Kenya, the team is now at the top of the heap.
The Bright Stars are currently ranked number one in Africa and 23rd in the world in the FIBA World Ranking Presented by Nike. This has everything to do with their spirited performances at global events.
Where did South Sudan's journey begin?
South Sudan's meteoric rise to the top of African basketball will always be on the lips of many.
Four years ago, they arrived in the Kenyan capital as a virtually unknown side.
They dispatched their opponents with consummate ease, scoring more than a hundred points before losing 74-68 to Kenya in a hard-fought match played in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
Their path to the inaugural FIBA AfroBasket in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2021 was not straightforward either, but they showed their mettle by shaking off the more established forces in the championship.
The simple answer is that it has been nothing but hard work that has got Bright Stars where they are, both in Africa and on the world stage.
How did they get to where they are now?
South Sudan qualified for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup at the first attempt, beating heavyweights Senegal (83-75) and Egypt (97-77) in the final window of the African qualifiers in Alexandria.
They were drawn in Group B, which also included reigning African champions Tunisia, Cameroon and Rwanda, and breezed through all their games.
In the second round, they were drawn in Group F with Egypt, Senegal and DR Congo. They closed their World Cup Qualifiers campaign winning 11 of their 12 matches.
The 2023 World Cup
For the first time in history, the 32-team FIBA World Championship was held in three countries - the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
Playing in Group B at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, South Sudan lost 101-96 to Puerto Rico in overtime after blowing a 10-point lead.
They followed up a dominant 89-69 win over China with a 94-72 defeat at the hands of Serbia.
South Sudan finished a respectable 17th after beating Philippines and Angola 87-68 and 101-78 respectively in the classification games.
The Paris Olympic adventure and a first win
Their next stop was the Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
And in their first-ever Olympic game, the Bright Stars wasted no time in making history.
The team recorded their first Olympic win with a 90-74 triumph over Puerto Rico in their Group C opener at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille.
The win was sweet revenge for the South Sudanese, who lost to the Puerto Ricans by five points in a thrilling World Cup showdown.
The victory made them the third African team to reach the finals after Central African Republic (CAR) at Seoul, South Korea, in 1988 and Nigeria at London 2012.
Never mind that the debutants lost their next two games, 103-86 to eventual champions USA and 96-85 to Serbia.
"There is nothing better than making history. That's all we did. Making history. More history," said Nuni Omot, who scored the team's first points at the Olympics.
Head coach Royal Levy described it as a film. "To be at the Olympics and to get our first win," he said. "It's so surreal. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Before jetting off to Paris, the team played the USA in a pre-Olympic friendly, narrowly losing 101-100 on the back of a last-ditch effort from Lebron James. That star-studded USA team also included Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.
How the Bright Stars have risen to the top in such a short time is a question that will be on the lips of the game's community for many years to come. There is no greater reward than hard work.
FIBA