Everyone has been astounded by South Sudan’s ability to compete fiercely against the most successful squad in international play. South Sudan came dangerously close to winning in a friendly matchup with Team USA, but LeBron James’ outstanding play helped Team USA win 101–100. James finished with 25 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. However, soon after the game, former NBA player Paul Pierce made some jokes about the height of the South Sudan players, which led to heavy criticism from the fans. However, the ten-time NBA All-Star recently apologized for his statement. During a recent episode of Undisputed, Pierce apologized for his previous unnecessary comments on South Sudan after their near upset against Team USA.
“I apologize and I’ll be watching South Sudan more… they really got my attention… They showed me the seismic shift in International play.”
Paul Pierce on South Sudan nearly pulling off the upset vs. Team USA 🗣️
(via @undisputed)pic.twitter.com/nICjSczS01
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 22, 2024
“First of all, I’d like to offer an apology to South Sudan for the disrespect that I have given them, not having any knowledge about their team or their country. So, right off the bat, I’d like to apologize. I did my research over the weekend. I apologize. I’ll be watching South Sudan more because they were exciting to watch, and they really got my attention. Pierce said.
Pierce Sparks Controversy: Is Jayson Tatum the New King, Outshining LeBron, KD, and Steph?
A few days ago, in Undisputed, Pierce argued that Jayson Tatum was better than LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. He implied that their current status relies heavily on their popularity.
“The best player on the team is Jayson Tatum. Skip, I’m talking about the USA Men’s 2024 Olympic Basketball team. Because it’s a popularity contest, we’re talking about the guy who’s just coming off a championship on the best team; I mean, come on. … If you all are in a room with LeBron, Steph, KD [Kevin Durant], and you are all playing a pickup game, even though you know who Tatum is, you’re probably going to pick LeBron first, just based on, ‘That’s LeBron, that’s KD, that’s Steph.” Pierce said.
