Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Jordan Clarkson will be one of the cheerleaders for Gilas Pilipinas when it shoots for the lone continental ticket to the 2016 Olympics at the Fiba Asia Championship in China two weeks from now.
The 6-foot-5 point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers, who is part-Filipino, also gave the thumbs-up to Tab Baldwin’s Final 12 players who will make up the Gilas roster, saying “they have earned the right” to play in the Olympic qualifier.
“I’m very disappointed I won’t be able to play with the Gilas National Team,” Clarkson wrote in an official statement released by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to media outlets yesterday.
Clarkson also said that he wouldn’t want to be unfair to any of the 12 players whom he will take a spot from if ever his eligibility was worked out in time with Fiba by the SBP.
“Any continued efforts on my part (to gain eligibility) would be unfair to the team,” he said.
Clarkson, though, has given his word that he would like to be a part of the national team for the long haul, even giving the 2024 Olympics as his final event with the Philippine squad.
“I will cheer them into (the) gold (medal in China),” Clarkson said in the statement. “Let’s get to Rio (de Janeiro).”
The idea of Clarkson playing for Gilas cropped up a few weeks ago when he flew to Manila with a Philippine passport supposedly issued to him while he was 12 years old.
Meanwhile, the National Five went back to work yesterday, with former skipper Alapag speaking in the day’s final huddle and David and Rosario given invites to continue training with the team.
The Filipinos will play in a pocket tournament called the MVP Cup starting tomorrow when they clash with Talk ‘N Text.
Chinese Taipei and the Wellingtong Saints of New Zealand will join the tournament.