PHILADELPHIA — The original Cinderella run began with a transatlantic flight and discomfort.
Two lanky teens crammed into compact airplane seats and, as their high school classmates prepared to graduate, they jetted off to Mali. They’d go from there to Greece, and chase history at the under-19 basketball World Cup, but come on, some friends thought, who were they kidding?
Mali had never qualified for the Olympics or World Cup. No African team had ever medaled at a major international basketball tournament. Mali, Africa’s 19th most populous nation, had even struggled in continental competitions.