The Philippines national team has announced its 21-man shortlist for the World Cup, and it includes Jordan Clarksonwho turns 31 this Wednesday, June 7.
With dual nationality, the Jazz fullback played for the Philippines for the first time at the 2018 Asian Games, and averaged 26 points to lead the team to fifth place. Jordan Clarkson also participated in the second round of qualifying for the World Cup in the Asia zone last August. In two games against Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, he averaged 25 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
Basketball is the national sport in the Philippines
Very attached to this jersey, he does not hide his excitement at the idea of playing the competition at home.
“Playing for your country means a lot. Just being able to represent it, go out there and give it your all…” spoke Jordan Clarkson. “In the Philippines, basketball is the most important thing. Being able to welcome all these teams and all these countries. I will be part of the host country, the organizing country of the World Cup. It will be an extraordinary experience, people will see the country and they will be able to live this experience”.
The former best sixth man in the NBA is fresh off the best campaign of his NBA career with 20.8 points and 4.4 assists in 61 games with the Jazz. Free agent, he will try to win the biggest contract of his career during the “free agency”, before concentrating on the Philippines. The task promises to be complicated since this nation has only made it out of the group stage once. It was in 1954, when she won the bronze medal in Brazil.
As a reminder, Jordan Clarkson’s teammates will play in Group A alongside Angola, the Dominican Republic and Italy. The competition scheduled from August 25 to September 10 will take place in three different countries: the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
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