Olympian Peter Jok Beats the Odds Once Again

Last Saturday, the US Men’s Olympic Basketball team defeated the national team from South Sudan 101-100. While an American victory was far from surprising, nearly everything else that transpired during the game defied conventional wisdom. The American team, composed entirely of All-Stars, All-NBA players, and NBA champions, narrowly escaped defeat against a coterie of NBA benchwarmers, cast-offs, and players who never even got close to making the league. South Sudan entered the game as 43.5-point underdogs yet managed to build a 16-point lead over the Americans during the first half and had a shot to secure the victory in the final possession. LeBron James, whose go-ahead shot with eight seconds remaining ultimately won the game for the US team, has been playing in the NBA for eight years longer than the country of South Sudan has existed. There are upsets, and then are UPSETS, victories like the Miracle on Ice or Appalachian State’s win over Michigan in the Big House that stop the sporting world in their tracks. Puerto Rico pulled off such a stunner against the US men’s national team in 2004, and South Sudan was one missed Carlik Jones buzzer beater away from doing the same.

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