Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin also got excited with the presence of Jordan Clarkson during Wednesday night’s practice at Meralco Gym. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Jordan Clarkson isn’t discounting the possibility of him suiting up for the Philippine national basketball team in the Olympic qualifiers this July.
The Los Angeles Lakers guard, whose mother Annette Davis is born in Pampanga, reasserted his desire to help Gilas Pilipinas in its last-ditch effort to make the 2016 Rio Olympics.
READ: Baldwin: Gilas merely ‘inching’ forward after six weeks of training
“We’re working on it right now actually. Trying to go through some stuff with Fiba so we try to make sure that happens,” said Clarkson in a video interview on NBA.com where he answered various questions from the fans.
“So hopefully the timing is right and I get a chance to do that. I wanna definitely compete. [I] wanna try to get the guys to Rio,” said Clarkson, currently the Lakers’ third-leading scorer behind Kobe Bryant and Lou Williams averaging 15.2 points per game.
The 23-year-old Clarkson had already committed himself to be part of the Gilas program and even joined the national team in practice and Jones Cup campaign in Taiwan where he showed his full support by watching some of the games on the team bench.
READ: Clarkson and Gilas’ agony and ecstasy
During his Manila trip in August, Clarkson also paid a visit to his mother’s hometown where he conducted a basketball clinic for kids.
“They (Filipinos) got so much passion and love for the game. I threw a couple of camps and kids showed up with no shoes and playing on concrete,” Clarkson recalled.
Clarkson, who named Steph Curry, James Harden and Russell Westbrook as his toughest players to guard, wants to keep the help coming.
READ: Clarkson on Gilas loss: ‘Let’s show the world our resiliency’
“I wanna continue to keep going over there and try to represent and do great things for the country and for the people.”
Clarkson’s potential Gilas stint is sure to give the Philippines’ bid another boost after the country was chosen as one of the three hosts for the qualifiers on Tuesday.