Anyiarbany "Jackson" Makoi (born 3 July 2000) is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Cairns Taipans of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He represents the South Sudan national basketball team in international competition.

Jackson Makoi
No. 9 – Cairns Taipans
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBL
Personal information
Born (2000-07-03) 3 July 2000 (age 24)
Egypt
NationalitySouth Sudanese / Australian
Listed height196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Listed weight89 kg (196 lb)
Career information
High schoolSaint Louis Christian Academy
(Saint Louis, Missouri)
College
NBA draft2022: undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022Vrijednosnice Osijek
2022–2024Sydney Kings
2024Northside Wizards
2024–presentCairns Taipans
Career highlights and awards

Early life

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Makoi was born in Egypt,[1] however he moved to Melbourne, Australia at an early age. He moved to the United States to play high school basketball.[citation needed]

Professional career

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On 8 September 2021, Makoi signed his first professional contract with Vrijednosnice Osijek of the Croatian HT Premijer liga.[2]

On 21 June 2022, Makoi signed with the Sydney Kings as a development player for the 2022–23 NBL season.[3] He played 15 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.[4] He re-signed with the Kings on 28 March 2023 to a two-year deal, continuing as a development player for the 2023–24 NBL season.[5] He recovered to make one appearance for the club in his second season.[4] On 9 April 2024, he was released by the Kings.[4]

Makoi joined the Northside Wizards for the 2024 NBL1 North season.[6]

On 22 April 2024, Makoi signed with the Cairns Taipans for the 2024–25 NBL season.[7] On 31 August 2024, he received an eight match suspension with a six-week suspended sentence after being charged for driving under the influence. He will miss the first two rounds of the 2024–25 season.[8]

National team career

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Internationally, Makoi has played for the South Sudan national basketball team since 2020.[9] He played with South Sudan at AfroBasket 2021 as the team's starting point guard. He contributed 7 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists per game, helping the team reach the quarterfinals in its first major tournament.[10]

Makoi was named in South Sudan's final roster for the 2024 Olympics.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Lee College Profile Jackson Makoi". YouTube. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Novi igrač Vrijednosnica je Anyiarbany Makoi". KK VROS (in Croatian). 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Sydney Sign South Sudanese NT Guard Jackson Makoi". NBL.com.au. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Kings, Makoi part ways ahead of free agency". NBL.com.au. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Makoi Commits to Kings". NBL.com.au. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  6. ^ "The South Sudan star finding his feet in NBL1". NBL1.com.au. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  7. ^ "South Sudan superstar heads to Far North Queensland". NBL.com.au. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Makoi handed suspension". NBL.com.au. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Jackson MAKOI". South Sudan Basketball Federation. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Anyiarbany MAKOI at the FIBA AfroBasket 2021". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  11. ^ "South Sudanese NBL stars to make history". NBL.com.au. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
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