NBA player Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz traces his roots to the Philippines, the country he played for in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Some of his teammates from that squad are seeing action in the 2023 Asian Games, and the 31-year-old was among the many Filipino fans who witnessed the pulsating 77-76 win of the Philippines over China in the men's 5x5 basketball competitions in Hangzhou, China.
The Utah Jazz guard joined the Philippines in celebrating the win that pushed them into the gold medal round against Jordan.
puso! 🇵ðŸ‡
— Jordan Clarkson (@JordanClarksons) October 4, 2023
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Ironically, Clarkson was part of the Philippine national team that won over China at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. It will be recalled that the 31-year-old had that scoring outburst that helped the Philippines in their final game in Manila, Philippines. He finished with 34 points, including 20 markers in a span of three minutes, per Bleacher Report.
Recalling Clarkson's 2018 Asian Games stint
Clarkson should know how hard it is to defeat a team like China. He experienced that back in the 2018 edition of the Asian Games.
The 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year had a rough outing at the time, although the Philippines engaged China in a close game. It ended 82-80 in favor of China, ESPN reported.
Clarkson gears up for Jazz campaign
After a busy summer, Jordan Clarkson now prepares for the 2023-24 NBA season, wherein he hopes to become a complete player, ABC4 reported.
"Everybody knows I can score the ball, and do it as fast as possible," Clarkson said. "But in terms of my game, getting shots for my teammates, I think that's going to be a big step for me, just manipulating the game and picking my spots."
There is no telling what role the Filipino-American will have for the Jazz this season. But if his FIBA World Cup performance is to be gauged, expect Jazz coach Will Hardy to try and get more out of Jordan Clarkson this season.
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