James Kamich is chasing his dreams. The college basketball player just graduated from Long Island University and is applying to graduate school.
He says he's motivated by his national basketball team — South Sudan — qualifying for and competing in the Olympics for the first time.
What You Need To Know
- The South Sudan men's national basketball team, coached by an NBA veteran and New Yorker with Queens roots, Royal Ivey, qualified for and competed in the Olympics for the first time this year
- The team won its first game against Puerto Rico, but got knocked out of the competition by the U.S., which then went on to win the gold
- James Kamich, who played college basketball for Long Island University, says he's filled with pride for his national team despite the loss, and believes they'll come back stronger for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
"I had goosebumps throughout all of these games, 'cause it was like, man, we really made it to the Olympics,” said Kamich, who is a South Sudan basketball fan. "It inspired me, you know, it inspired me to work hard, and all the youth, all the South Sudanese youth, 'cause if they can do it, we can do it too.”
It was a historic moment for South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, having gained independence around 13 years ago. The team won its first game against Puerto Rico, but got knocked out of the competition by the U.S., which then went on to win the gold.
The South Sudan men’s national basketball team is coached by an NBA veteran and New Yorker, Royal Ivey. The Queens-raised Ivey went to Benjamin Cardozo High School.
His team’s uniforms generated Olympic-sized viral buzz — and so did South Sudan’s performance in an exhibition battle against Team U.S.A. before the games, with South Sudan losing by just one point.
“I know South Sudan have a lot of talent,” Kamich said. "We deserve to be there. I feel like we can play with the best of them, the whole world saw it, and I think it’s just a matter of time. I’m super proud."
The 23-year-old, who was born and raised in South Sudan, believes despite the loss, South Sudanese people are resilient. A civil war left nearly 400,000 people in the East African country dead, according to the United Nations.
"As a country, we have struggled. We have went through a lot,” he said. “It’s a dream come true. 'Cause as a kid growing up in South Sudan, we don’t get this opportunity to be able to play basketball, and especially play basketball in New York.”
Now he’s gearing up to go to graduate school, believing his team will be back to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“We gon' fight hard to make it happen,” he said.
Kamich was the first in his family to go to college, and says basketball opened doors for him to pursue his higher education.
His sights are now set on getting a business master's degree — and in the future, he wants to build a foundation that helps South Sudanese children chase their dreams of playing basketball and going to college.