Paris 2024 Men’s Basketball: Ex-NBA Star Slams Officiating In South Sudan’s Loss To Serbia

Former NBA star Luol Deng has accused officials of bias against his South Sudanese players and called for more African representation among referees after his team’s historic run at Paris Olympics came to an end with a 96-85 loss to Serbia on Saturday night

Deng, architect of the South Sudan men’s basketball program that reached its first Olympics this summer, and also president of his country’s Basketball Federation and an assistant coach for the team, highlighted the free-throw disparity between the two teams (31-6) and made it clear he believed there were underlying reasons for the massive gap.

“I’ve been a part of a lot of games my whole career, and coaching for the last two and a half years (and) I thought it was deliberate — blatantly,” Deng, who has funded the program out of his own pocket for years now, said to a group of reporters in the media mixed zone afterward.

“We couldn’t be as aggressive as they are. I know that Serbia is known for basketball. They’ve been great for many years. The way (they play), it’s almost like the refs know them. So it’s okay for the refs, if they know certain players, to let them play their style?

“As soon as our guys play their style, we’re getting (called for fouls) every time. It’s almost like there’s a narrative, and a stigma, that’s out there that these African players are aggressive. And as soon as they’re just as aggressive, (the calls) aren’t there.”

Deng questioned the lack of African referees in the Olympics system.

Just one of the 30 referees officiating men’s and women’s basketball at the Olympics is from an African federation, according to the list FIBA announced in July.

In its announcement, FIBA said every referee at the Olympics had worked in either a men’s or women’s World Cup, with 17 of the 30 returning from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Also Read: Pre-season: Adarabioyo Gets Poor Rating In Chelsea’s 4-2 Defeat To Man City

“I don’t know why there (are) no African referees in the Olympics,” he continued. “It’s 2024. I don’t know what’s the reason for that. You can say whatever you want to say, but if we’re representing the continent then we’ve got to be representing it fully.

“That’s something that we’ve got to keep on working on. But if these referees are not familiar with our game or our style, then I don’t know what the World Championships or the Olympics (are). Is it just the European basketball style, and we’re not allowed to be aggressive?”

When asked whether he believes the issue is racial or cultural, Deng offered more clarity regarding his view.

“I didn’t say racial,” he said. “I don’t know why (the question) is going there. I’m just focusing on the continent. There’s all races in our continent. … I’m just saying that we’re not allowed to be as aggressive, and I think the refs are familiar with this style of play and they allowed them to play their style. Now, we’re not allowed to match their style. That’s all I’m saying.”

“This is not something that I’m just making up,” he continued. “Everybody knows there’s a huge disrespect to African basketball. But at the same time, we’ve got to develop basketball on the continent. We’ve got to bring facilities and develop our refs, and develop our coaches and so on. We know that. But also, there’s a mindset of African style, African basketball, and, you know, it showed completely.”