MANILA – Filipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson is not closing his doors on a possible return for the Gilas Pilipinas after his remarkable stint in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
According to the Utah Jazz star guard, he will make himself available for the Philippine men’s basketball team if they qualify anew in the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
“Yeah, I think so. Thirty-five isn’t that old. Thirty is the new 20, right? I still feel young. I’m still out here competing. I don’t think that’s my last performance in this jersey,” Clarkson said.
“I think I have more time. I can still hoop. I can’t even tell you what I’m eating in the morning,” he added. “But yeah, hopefully down the line, when that time comes around again, I’ll be able to put this jersey on and represent the country.”
Clarkson, who was on his second stint with Gilas after the 2018 Asian Games, was the team’s most reliable scorer throughout its campaign as he averaged 20.8 points in five matches.
Clarkson had his best game when he scored 34 points as Gilas wrapped up its campaign with a 96-75 victory over China, giving the nation hope in its quest to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
“It’s been a tough tournament, but we kept fighting, kept competing, kept playing. We really wanted to end this on the right note,” said the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee.
“We might not see the same guys in the locker room after this, but at the same time, we just wanted to show heart, fight, and continue the resilience for the team,” added Clarkson.
Clarkson further said that he was grateful to the Filipino crowd that showed up in the five matches in the 2023 FIBA World Cup at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan and at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“The crowd was a super big factor,” he said. “Like the coach said, with everything going on – the weather [typhoon], they came and supported us. We wanted to continue to fight. We have been doing that all the time. Just respect our families and everything.”
“All of us gave 110% effort and fans as well. Packing the stadium, being loud, and supporting us. They were a big part of us winning. You know, they were pushing us to this last win,” Clarkson concluded./PN
