NJ high school basketball coach heading to the 2024 Olympics in Paris
A New Jersey high school basketball coach is headed to next year's Olympics.
Joe Mantegna, a coach at Blair Academy, will head to the Paris Olympics in 2024 to coach South Sudan’s men's basketball team.
Mantegna, 54, has worked for Blair Academy, a prep school in Blairstown, for 25 years.
When he first started working for the school’s basketball team, NBA stars Luol Deng and Royal Ivey were Mantegna’s first two recruits. And now Deng and Ivey, both South Sudanese, are working to get South Sudan their first Olympic medal.
“It means so much to me because I’m supporting two of my former players," Mantegna told NJ. com. "I’m doing this with my first two recruits to Blair Academy, which is sort of storybook.”
Deng is the head of the (South Sudan) Federation, and Ivey is the head coach
South Sudan is the newest sovereign country in the world after it attained independence from Sudan in 2011.
This will be South Sudan’s first time participating in the Olympic games, and the basketball team is promising. According to Mantegna, South Sudan has advanced a lot in rankings in just a few years.
“I mean, this is one of the biggest things that’s ever happened to South Sudan, it’s only 12 years old. It’s a big weight, it’s a big responsibility for us,” Mantegna said.
Day One, Year 25 at Blair Academy, Lots of potential if we get 1% better every day and humbly attack our collective goals! pic.twitter.com/Y8EnZxxSFp
— Coach Joe Mantegna (@CoachMantegna) September 7, 2023
July 20 will be the first main event in which Mantegna will put his coaching capabilities into play – a warmup game against the United States.
South Sudan will have to face the legendary U.S. team, which may include LeBron James, Steph Curry and Anthony Davis. It's an exhibition game in London.
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For its part, South Sudan’s roster may include NBA player JT Thor, Carlik Jones, a former Louisville player who last season was the NBA G League’s MVP, and Khaman Maluach, a 7-foot-1 NBA Academy Africa player for whom Mantegna sees great potential.
The 2024 Olympic games are set to run in Paris from July 26 through Aug. 11.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Blair Academy basketball coach to train South Sudan in the Olympics
