MANILA – Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson has agreed to serve as the Gilas Pilipinas’ naturalized player in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup to be held in the country in late August.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) confirmed the development on Tuesday evening after its president Al Panlilio came to terms with the camp of the Filipino-American player.
According to Panlilio, Clarkson will go straight to China on August 6 and possibly join the national men’s basketball team in a pocket tournament as part of the preparations for the World Cup.
The Vincent “Chot” Reyes-mentored national squad will be going up against fellow FIBA World Cup competitors in Lebanon, Iran, and Senegal in the said China pocket tournament.
There were doubts last week if Clarkson is suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas in the world stage as there was a disagreement between the SBP and Clarkson’s camp with regards to his arrival in the country.
Clarkson, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee, played two games for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, averaging 25.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds.
The Filipino-American guard is coming off a career year in the NBA where he averaged 20.8 points per game, along with 4.4 assists and four rebounds that allowed him to land a multi-year contract extension with the Jazz earlier this month.
The Philippines is slotted with the Dominican Republic (August 25 at the Philippine Arena), Angola (August 27 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum), and Italy (August 29 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum) in the World Cup.
With the confirmation of Clarkson for the World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas’ other naturalized player Justin Brownlee will be relegated to the reserve list and will be used for the national team’s campaign in the Asian Games in China later this year.
Brownlee, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings’ resident import in the PBA, was the one who was with the national men’s basketball team during their training camps in Lithuania earlier this month./PN
