Carlik Jones, South Sudan’s standout point guard, continued to make history at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
In a remarkable feat, Jones became the first player ever to record three games with 10 or more assists in a single World Cup tournament. He also matched the record for the most assists in a single game.
During South Sudan’s final World Cup game, the 25-year-old Jones showcased his skills, contributing 26 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and distributing 15 assists. This exceptional performance followed a near triple-double effort in his previous game against the Philippines, where he amassed 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 14 assists.
Jones’s remarkable 15 assists in the game equaled the all-time single-game record set by Toni Kukoc back in 1994 against China. Interestingly, Kukoc, a former basketball legend, had served as an advisor with the Chicago Bulls, the same team where Jones had played.
Jones had previously notched 11 assists in South Sudan’s opening game against Puerto Rico and added another 14 assists in his country’s victory over the Philippines.
While Jones stands alone in achieving three games with double-digit assists in a single World Cup, there are six others who have accomplished the feat of having more than 10 assists in multiple games within a single tournament: Toni Kukoc in 1994, Tomas Satoransky and Dennis Schroder in 2019, Tremont Waters of Puerto Rico, Yago Santos of Brazil, and Shea Ili of New Zealand in this edition of the tournament.
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