As LeBron James Overtake Manu Ginobili, Who Are the Top-5 Names in Olympic Basketball Assists?

Another day and another history for LeBron James. The timeless work of art from ‘The Kid from Akron’ already proved himself to be the messiah of Team USA several times, even at the age of 39. He’s literally defying all odds, even today against Puerto Rico. The excellence, the sheer display of brilliance at a global platform of the Olympics is splendid.

After LeBron James dished out his 6th assist of the game in the 2nd quarter, the Lakers forward leapfrogged Manu Ginobili, taking his all-time assist tally in the Olympics to 108. The Argentine dime master had 107 assists to his name and will now be at the 5th spot in the all-time leading assist maker’s list. But who is ahead of LeBron? And how many more assists does he need to reach the pinnacle of playmaking? Here is the comprehensive list:

Who are the top 5 names in Olympic basketball assists?

5. Manu Ginobili (Argentina)

The Spurs legend represented Argentina on 4 occasions on the Olympic stage. In those 4 editions, Ginobili played 29 times for the Albiceleste. Apart from having a healthy 17.8 PPG, Ginobili made his mark for being a selfless creator. Ginobili’s 107 assists means 3.6 assists per game which surely helped the cause when Argentina won the Gold in 2004 and bronze in 2008.

4. LeBron James (USA)

At number 4 is the King, LeBron James. This is the 4th Olympics for the 2-time gold medalist. The game against Puerto Rico marked his 27th appearance in the competition. The 4-time NBA Champion finished the night with 8 assists. This takes LeBron’s tally to 110 assists, only 2 shy of the next name on the list. With a quarterfinal tie confirmed, it is safe to say, LeBron will make the number 3 spot his own soon enough.

3. Toni Kukoc (Yugoslavia-Croatia)

The Bulls legend is the 3rd name on the list. The 3-time NBA Champion represented Yugoslavia in the 1988 Olympics and Croatia in 1992 and 1996 after their creation. In the 22 appearances, Kukoc wracked up 112 assists, meaning 5.1 assists per game. Kukoc’s Croatia came agonizingly close to the gold medal in 1992 before falling to the winner, The Dream Team. His performance for the European underdogs earned him a move to the NBA, and the rest is history.

2. Sarunas Marciulionis (Soviet Union-Lithuania)

Will it be too much to hope that LeBron James creeps up to the number 2 spot on the list by the end of the Paris Olympics? Sarunas Marciulionis’ 121 assists tally is certainly making things look hopeful. The Lithuanian guard participated in 3 Summer Olympics in his Hall of Famer career. In 1988, Marciulionis ended up on the podium with a gold medal around his neck. The following editions only fetched him bronze medals.

But that didn’t stop him from recording insane numbers. His 23.4 PPG in the 1992 Olympics was an otherworldly output in that era. And yes, he had 8.2 assists per game coupled with his scoring spree as well. The assists tally was achieved in 22 games so one can see the former Dubs guard wasn’t too bad either.

1. Sarunas Jasikevicius (Lithuania)

Sarunas Jaskevicius can be painted as the tragic hero of the Olympics. The Lithuanian is easily one of the best players of his generation to have never won a gold medal at the event. In his 4 Olympic games, Jasikevicius played 30 games representing his country. He only won a bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but that didn’t deter him from cementing his place in the history books with 160 assists. Hard luck LeBron, you just might have to make another trip or two with Team USA to get close to this record.

And to absorb more interesting stories, watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where the prodigy puts Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr under the pump with loaded NBA questions and more in this video below.