By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Since 2011, Jordan Clarkson emerged as the great Philipinno hope.
In a basketball-crazy country, which is desperate for heroes, the NBA guard was a god-send gift.
And finally, even if per FIBA rules he is considered “naturalized”, he has the chance to enjoy his heritage, in the country of his ancestors while demonstrating his craft to the biggest world audience.
It’s as good as enjoying an ice cream or even better.
Jordan Clarkson is waiting for you in Manilla 🍦#NothingElseMatters #WinForAll #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/s62yoFZTD9
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) August 14, 2023
It was a long road that started back in 2011, while he was still in college. However, things started to materialize in 2015 when he was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and he was called to observe the preparation camp of the national team, the Gilas Pilipinas.
The Philippines wanted him on their roster as a native player and not as a naturalized one, the long process to use him finally bear fruits in 2018 when he got a one-time exception and played in the Asian Games with the Gilas.
With Clarkson onboard, the Gilas beat Japan and Syria, earning the Philippines a fifth-place finish, its best in 16 years.
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It was obvious that the team needed him and finally, on August 9th, 2022, the Philippines basketball federation announced that they accepted him as a naturalized player for the fourth window of the 2023 World Cup Asian qualifiers and future FIBA tournaments.
However, this was not the end of the road, but practically the start of a new chapter.
Against Angola, Italy, and the Dominican Republic, the hosts of the FIBA World Cup need two wins in order to qualify for the next round, or if they get the right point difference and a bit of luck, even one might end up being enough.
And a large part of a whole nation’s hopes is in the hands of Clarkson.
A gifted scorer at every level, he has proven time and time again that he can deliver, scoring nearly 30 points in most games he appeared with the Gilas. And if he manages to lead them to the second round, that will taste even better than an ice cream.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL