By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
He started turning heads by leading the South Sudanese national team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, as a G League MVP. A year later, after a season in China, Carlik Jones once again showcased his skills representing South Sudan at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Even before the Olympic tournament, he nearly took down Team USA during a prep match, recording a triple-double.
After a series of historic performances with the African nation on the international stage, the 26-year-old point guard from Cincinnati finally came to Europe, signing a deal with Partizan Belgrade. He was one of the key pieces of Partizan’s summer overhaul, with 14 new players joining the team.
“We’ve got a unique situation, a lot of new guys. It’s crazy how quickly and well we meshed as a team with 14 new faces. It’s been a smooth process; I expected some bumps, ups and downs because it’s new, but it’s been nothing less than perfect. I get that during the season there will be ups and downs, but for the start, everything has been great,” Carlik Jones said to Eurohoops.
Working with legendary coach Željko Obradović convinced him to take the step into European basketball.
“It’s been great, the coach is special. He’s a legend, and I’m learning about him more every day. Everywhere we go, he gets an incredible amount of love. He teaches the details, and nowadays, you don’t get many coaches who teach small details every single day, but he does that. All the guys are bought in, and it’s exciting—I can’t wait to see what we can do with his coaching.”
Joining Partizan, Carlik became part of the great Belgrade rivalry between Partizan and Crvena zvezda. He’s looking forward to the derbies.
“That will be cool, especially when it’s the rival fans. I don’t pay too much attention. Sometimes I tune them out, but I also embrace it. You have no choice—they’re going to be there whether you like it or not.”
Partizan went 3-0 in the ABA League at the start of the season but lost the EuroLeague opener to Baskonia in the final moments. Still, glimpses of what coach Obradović is trying to achieve with the new squad were seen.
“You can expect a lot of intensity, high energy, and a lot of togetherness. We’ve only been together for a few months, but it feels like I’ve known these guys for five or six months,” Jones said, adding what stood out to him after meeting EuroLeague basketball. “Physical play, you gotta work for everything. It’s tough.”
Speaking of EuroLeague, he’ll have the chance to face some great guards, and he is most excited to compete against fellow American players.
“Shane Larkin and Mike James, both ex-NBA guys, are great players. Mike James has been doing this for many years and is considered one of the best players in the league. I respect their game, what they’ve done in the EuroLeague, and I can’t wait to line up and see what we can do against them.”
As a former G League MVP, he didn’t want to comment too much on the topic that started with Juan Toscano-Anderson’s remark that the “G League is the second-best league in the world.”
“The G League is tough; it has a lot of talent, but so does the EuroLeague. I can’t really say which is better, but I think it’s arguable.”
Jones played in the G League for the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks affiliate, and the Windy City Bulls, the affiliate of the Chicago Bulls, where he had the chance to work with former EuroLeague player Henry Domercant, whom Carlik named as one of the most important coaches in his professional career. However, he also recorded 12 NBA appearances with the two mentioned franchises and the Denver Nuggets, where he played on a short-term deal.
“I’ve had a few games, and I’m excited to be here, to have this opportunity. I wasn’t able to play as much as I wanted to. Do I think I deserved to be there? Yeah. Do I think I deserved to play more at the time? Yeah. But things happen. Now I’m at Partizan, and I’m glad to be here. I want to be somewhere where I’m wanted. I’m getting all the love and appreciation, and it means the world to me.”
Interestingly, the NBA teams he was on have big European stars in their ranks.
“I was with Doncic during my rookie year, and I had my ten-day stint with Denver, so I was with Jokic too. Both of those guys are impressive—impressive to be around. They’re good dudes at heart, good people, and even better players. I tried to pick up what I could from Luka, being a point guard. I just really admire Jokic. There’s not much I can take from his game, with him being a big man, but his knowledge—he really knows the game. Being around those two was amazing.”
After great 2023 World Cup performances with South Sudan, he decided to move to China, where he donned the jersey of the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
“It was different. A cultural shock—from the food to the language barrier—but that was also a good experience. I respect the league and the players; they had some ex-NBA players there. It was cool, a different style of play, a different game, but overall, I enjoyed my time there.”
He already played two major international tournaments as a naturalized player with South Sudan and is looking forward to more.
“I’m looking forward to the next World Cup, the next Olympics—it was fun. A lot of people doubted us, didn’t think we had what it takes to qualify for the Olympics, or at least perform the way we did. I wasn’t satisfied. Don’t get me wrong, I was glad we put the country on the map, glad we qualified for the Olympics for the first time, got our first win… but I wanted more. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out that way, but I appreciate it, and I’m incredibly happy with what we achieved for the country and the team. I’m eager to see what comes next.”
South Sudan proved to be a tough nut to crack even for the best teams. They played a close game with Team USA during preparations for the Olympics, losing 100-101, as Carlik recorded 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Then they played a do-or-die group stage game with Serbia to the wire but eventually fell to the team led by three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic.
Serbia went on to win the bronze, beating Australia and Germany on the way, barely losing to the USA in the semifinals. However, Bogdan Bogdanović admitted that the toughest game for him was against South Sudan.
“I felt like we had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Every game, that’s how we played. We aren’t the guys with the big names that people expect to go out there and dominate. Now, I don’t think we can catch anybody by surprise. We played with the mentality that your name means nothing. If you’re going to beat us, you’re going to have to earn it. Much respect to Bogdan. I appreciate him saying that. That was a crazy, good game. That’s what wTe want—respect from other players and letting the world know we aren’t pushovers.”
After everything he went through in the G League, NBA, China, and with the national team of South Sudan, Carlik is now part of the EuroLeague and is spending his days in Serbia and Belgrade, often surrounded by Partizan fans who already worship him.
“It’s cool. I’m loving the food, the views, the waterfront, and the fans. There is a language barrier, but people here speak English as well. I’m excited to learn Serbian. I’m going to learn some words and be able to speak at least a sentence by the time this year is over,” Carlik Jones concluded, speaking to Eurohoops.
PHOTO CREDIT: ABA League