JORDAN CLARKSON AGAIN Being Proposed for GILAS Roster in 2018 ASIAN GAMES; Father Seems HOPEFUL

It had been the stuff that dreams were made of, back in 2015 when speculation surfaced that Filipino-American NBA player Jordan Clarkson, at the time part of the LA Lakers, might somehow be able to play for Gilas Pilipinas, the National Men’s Basketball team of the Philippines. Such a possibility would have greatly increased the potential prowess of the team for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts with the Lakers put a kibosh to that hope. A second try was made for Clarkson at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics but similarly dashed. Could 2018 finally be the time?

ABS-CBN News reports that, in an echo of the Rio Olympics two years ago, thename of Jordan Clarkson, now playing for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, is once again listed at the proposed 18-man roster of Gilas Pilipinas for the 2018 Asian Games this coming August until September in Indonesia. Of course, nothing has yet to be set in stone regarding the participation of perhaps the most famous Filipino-American NBA star in the Philippines. Filipinos might still recall the commercial he shot in the country for Smart Bro Pocket Wi-Fi.

Apparently the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has entered into negotiations with the Cleveland Cavs to work out a reasonable release for Clarkson so he can play for the Philippines on the Asian Games. It is hoped that this can be accommodated in time for the Gilas Pilipinas training camp in the slowly-shrinking window