MANILA – Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson failed to get a clearance from NBA to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2018 Asian Games men’s basketball from Aug. 16 to Sept. 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
But the Filipino-American guard got the clearance to play for the national squad in the 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifier this September, ESPN’s Cleveland-based reporter Dave McMenamin said.
Clarkson on Friday already got a clearance from the Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) and from Cavaliers to suit up for the Philippines in the Asiad.
With the unexpected turn of events, Gilas head coach Yeng Guiao said they will now try to bring along TNT KaTropa’s Celedonio Trollano.
“If the INASGOC will allow it, we’ll add Trollano so we will have a complete 12-man lineup. But if not, it’s OK that we only have 11 players,” Guiao said.
Named as part of the final national team roster were Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ James Yap, Raymond Almazan, Beau Belga, Gabe Norwood, Chris Tiu, and Maverick Ahanmisi.
Also part of the lineup were NLEX Road Warriors’ Asi Taulava, San Miguel Beermen’s Christian Standhardinger, Magnolia Hotshots’ Paul Lee, Blackwater Elite’s John Erram, and NorthPort Batang Pier loaned Stanley Pringle.
Among those cut from the squad were University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons’ Ricci Rivero and Kobe Paras, who missed the training camp due to injury.
The Philippine squad, which hopes to improve its seventh place finish in 2014, will open its campaign on Aug. 16 against Kazakhstan (10 a.m.). An encounter with China will follow on Aug. 21 (4 p.m.)./PN
