MANILA – The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) admitted that moves are being made to make Filipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson of Cleveland Cavaliers available to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2019 Fiba Basketball World Cup.
SBP vice chairman Ricky Vargas said that they are exerting all efforts to allow Clarkson to play as local for the national men’s basketball team in the world basketball tournament slated this August in China.
“SBP is quietly working with Fiba,” said Vargas during his appearance at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Amelie Hotel Manila on Tuesday afternoon.
“We are quietly working and seeing to it that we can get Clarkson to the worlds. That would be fantastic,” added Vargas, who was hesitant to go into specifics about the process as per order by SBP chairman emeritus Manny Pangilinan.
Clarkson’s inclusion should be a big boost especially with the Philippines, which was bracketed in Group D with Serbia, Italy, and Angola.
Clarkson first represented the Philippines during the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia but the World Cup operates under FIBA rules which could classify him as “naturalized” player after obtaining his Filipino passport after the age of 16.
FIBA also restricts each team to one “naturalized” player, meaning Gilas head coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao will have to choose between Clarkson and naturalized center Andray Blatche for the FIBA World Cup.
Gilas Pilipinas reached its second consecutive FIBA World Cup appearance after finishing as the best fourth placer during the year-long Asian qualifier last Feburary./PN
