Will Clarkson play for Gilas?

I GOT a rather nasty phone call  yesterday from a colleague who has been trying to incite me to a verbal tussle, all because I told  him I  didn’t  think  the Los Angeles Lakers would allow Jordan Clarkson to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba Asia Men’s Championship set Sept. 23 in China.

“Who told you this? Where did you get this?  Of  course  he can  play  for Gilas,  not only  in  the Fiba Asia Men’s Championship, but even  the Brazil Olympics if  the Philippines  qualifies. The Lakers will allow  him to play  for Gilas,” the scribe  was almost hysterical.

I refused to allow him to get my goat, but I sure was getting  his.  Not wanting  to engage  in  a lengthy debate, I challenged   my colleague  to a friendly wager, but he said  he is  not a gambling man.

I told  him  I was only talking  from experience   and  gut feel  when I  said  I didn’t  think Clarkson would  be allowed  to play.

Before I go any further and  lest the  readers misunderstand, I want to make it clear  that like  every Filipino,  I want  Clarkson  to play  for Gilas. I just  don’t  think his  mother NBA team will allow  him to. It turns out  that his father was  the  first  to go against it.

My colleague was gloating as he demanded my  surrender.  Two days earlier,  before  he left  for LA  to  talk  with Jordan’s  father, Mike, SBP vice chair Ricky Vargas assured the Inquirer  there is a good  chance  that  Clarkson will  be allowed to play for Gilas.

“We just have  to surmount  certain challenges. One  thing certain, we are trying our utmost best  and will leave  no stone unturned,” Vargas said.

The Clarkson saga at this point was now expected to end on a positive  note.

However, two days ago, sportswriter Nick Giongco,  who regularly covers   the boxing beat, decided to tap  his Los Angeles Times connection to get in touch with John Black, vice president for public relations  of  the Lakers. He wanted to hear  it straight from  the horse’s mouth  what  the real  score was  concerning  Clarkson.

Black’s reply: “Clarkson is free to play for Gilas in  the Fiba Asia Men’s Championship in China as long as he is back in Los Angeles  by Sept. 28.”

Giongco said  the Lakers  have a busy calendar starting Sept. 28 as  there are numerous mandatory events on tap, including their training camp in Hawaii, where two pre-season games are going to be played against  the Utah Jazz.

In short, if Jordan’s  father allows him to play for Gilas and he signs up with the team,  he will only be able to play in Gilas’ first  three games, which is against  Palestine on Sept 23, Hong Kong on Sept. 24 and Kuwait on Sept 25.  Sept. 26 is a rest day. The  second  phase  starts Sept. 27, but Giongco assumes  that Clarkson  will  be flying out of China by this  time.

“US West Coast is 15 hours  behind Manila. If it’s night time of Sept. 28 in LA, that’s morning of Sept. 29 here in Asia,” said Giongco, who thinks  that  the Lakers will stick to  the  Sept. 28 ultimatum.

“Training camp  for an NBA team is sacred. While it is not yet  the start of the season, preseason games are equally as important.”