Filipino-American basketball star Jordan Clarkson expressed his openness to play for the Philippines once more under the Gilas banner.
In a post-game interview with Sports on Air, Clarkson was asked whether he is open to joining Gilas, the national basketball of the Philippines, to compete for the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
“For sure,” Clarkson said about the topic.
Jordan is no longer new to representing the Philippines and has played with Gilas in the past already. He already played for the national team during the recent Asian Games and in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Which raised the question: why is getting him on board not as easy right now? Gilas coach Tim Cone had some insights to share about the matter.
“Jordan’s availability is always extremely, extremely limited by the NBA,” Cone said in an interview. “He might be able to show up a few weeks before the World Cup, but then that would defeat all the continuity you have developed over time with the team that you have.”
Jordan is expected to be fully occupied as the Jazz continues to take their challenging path and hope to make it to the NBA Playoffs on April 2025.
The national team coach added that more than having strong names in their roster, they want to prioritize a strong familiarity and system within the team.
“We feel that over time, familiarity and system are more importat to the long-term success than just showing up with great players every chance you get,” Cone added. “The system, the philosophy this program is taking at this point, we’re not going to look for ultimate players all the time.”
Aside from Jordan Clarkson, Andray Blatche is another NBA player who have represented the Philippines under Gilas. Currently, Gilas is working on having Bennie Boatwright become naturalized so he can join the national team for their FIBA stint.
Jordan Clarkson: A Key Contributor to a Challenging Jazz Season
Clarkson is currently playing as guard for the Utah Jazz, and he is having a solid season so far. He has been a key contributor in a lot of the Jazz’s games so far, and his strong scoring ability has been a strong asset for the team thus far.
So far this season, Jordan Clarkson is averaging 15.6 points per game, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He shoots 40.6% of his field goals and makes 30.2% of his shots from beyond the arc.
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Ernest also manages a YouTube account called Sports On Air with over 103 thousand subscribers. The channel contains interviews predominantly from the Philippine Basketball Association. They can be reached at sportsonairph@gmail.com.
