Source: Scott Taetsch / Getty
I t’s amazing that people still pay attention to anything NBA player-turned podcaster Gilbert Arenas says, but his 723,000 YouTube following means he does have a large platform. Recently, something he said went viral in all the wrong ways.
The South Sudanese announced their Olympic quest with an almost-win over the USA men’s Olympic team. In a tune-up match in London last week before the Games started, it took last-minute heroics from 39-year-old LeBron James for Team USA to squeak out a 101-100 victory.
Arenas took to social media after the game, saying, “[Joel Embiid] throwing the game for his cousins [South Sudan] and sh–… They don’t even have shoes. They get their shoes from America. We gotta ship them shoes… They shooting on f-cking peach baskets in dirt with no shoes.”
He also said that Team USA almost lost to the “Ahi Ahi” tribe. (Despite numerous tribes in Africa, this doesn’t seem to be one of them.) Arenas echoed similar comments by former NBA star Paul Pierce on Undisputed who laughed and wondered if the South Sudanese had any players over 6-foot-3. (Many South Sudanese and Sudanese people are from the Dinka tribe, among the tallest people in the world.)
The South Sudan men’s basketball is the only men’s basketball team from Africa to make the Olympics in 2024. That’s a story in itself as it has only been officially recognized as a country for 13 years and does not have any indoor basketball courts. Once part of Sudan, South Sudan gained its independence in July 2011 as both countries continued to be roiled by a devastating civil war. The team finished 17th at the FIBA World Cup, earning an automatic berth to the Games.
South Sudan has brought players to the league before – late NBA star Manute Bol and his son Bol Bol are Sudanese as is retired Chicago Bulls player Luol Deng. His family emigrated to the UK after war broke out when he was a child.
Deng has been instrumental in helping the team find a place on the international scene, becoming the president of the country’s basketball federation. He called Arenas’ remarks “disrespectful” in a social media post.
“Growing up, I heard many similar comments,” Deng posted. “Those very remarks are some of the things that motivated me to change the narrative. Africans now show solidarity and support for each other more than ever. Moments like this are not for us to get upset and lash out. Many Africans and Black people who embrace their African heritage are working hard to bring all Black people closer by educating and sharing stories and historic moments, teaching that we have much more in common than differences.”
He added, “As for Gilbert’s comments, they were certainly more disrespectful and cruel. Personally, I don’t care much. I would never trade places with anyone; being African is special. However, for young African and African American kids who admire and listen to Gilbert, these comments can make you think less of yourself and make the rest of the world think less of Africans. Those who are easily misled may make comments that reflect self-hate more than pride. There is nothing about our history that we should run away from.”
Deng concluded by saying, “If we as a people realized the greatness from which we came we would be less likely to disrespect ourselves. .”
Arenas apologized. “I respected u as a player and will as a coach (Sorry for my Disrespectful comments),” he posted.
South Sudan beat Puerto Rico on Sunday 90-79 for its first-ever Olympics victory. And arguably, they won the best team look at the Opening Ceremonies.
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