NBA stars lead the way in FIBA World Cup scoring

MANILA, Philippines – As expected, players from the National Basketball Association are lording it over the stats board in the ongoing 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The top 11 scorers in the ongoing tournament are mostly current NBA players with the exception of Ronda Hollis-Jefferson (31.5 points per game), who is second in the competition in scoring, right behind Slovenia and the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (35.5 ppg).

Jefferson played for six seasons for the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers, after which he moved to play professionally in Puerto Rico. He also suited up for TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA, where he led the team to a Governors’ Cup title this past season.

He is the naturalized player for Jordan.

Carlik Jones, third in FIBA World Cup scoring for Sudan, averages 28.0 ppg. He is not a naturalized player for Sudan because this current Chicago Bull is of Sudanese descent.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl Anthony-Towns leads the Dominican Republic with 25.0 ppg and is fifth in the competition.

Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz and the Philippines is next with 24.5 ppg. 

The New York Knicks and France’s Evan Fournier are sixth in scoring with 24.0 ppg. 

Lauri Markkanen, who also suits up for the Jazz and represents Finland, is tied with the Atlanta Hawks’ and Australia’s Patty Mills with 23.0 ppg. 
 
The Los Angeles Lakers and Germany’s Dennis Schroder is ninth in scoring with 22.0 ppg.

The Chicago Bulls’ and Montenegro’s Nikola Vucevic averages 21.5 points in the 10th spot.

 he Oklahoma City Thunder and Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is 11th with 19.5 ppg.

Breaking the NBA lock on scoring is Japan’s Joshua Hawkinson at 12th with 18.5 ppg. Hawkinson is American-born but became a Japanese citizen in 2023.  He has been playing professionally in Japan since 2017 after finishing his college career with Washington State. He is a teammate of Filipino-Japanese player Matthew Aquino with the Shinshu Brave Warriors in the Japan B.League.

Hawkinson is also leading the tournament in rebounding after two matches played with 14.5 caroms a match.