Jordan Clarkson To Join Gilas In Olympic Qualifiers? Lakers Rookie Wants Philippine Team Stint
Apparently, Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson is so eager to join Philippine team called Gilas after this NBA season.
The Southeast Asian country, which finished second to China in October's FIBA Asia Championship, has just been granted rights as one of the three hosts of Olympic Qualifiers and the Lakers sophomore volunteered to help bring his country back in the world's biggest basketball stage.
"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.
"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," he added.
The Philippines' men's national basketball team has played in the Summer Olympics 13 times. However, the last one was 34 years ago.
Now called Gilas Pilipinas, the Southeast Asian nation is targeting to return to that stage with the help of Los Angeles Lakers player Jordan Clarkson and naturalized player Andray Blatche.
There's a bit of a hurdle though regarding Jordan Clarkson's Gilas inclusion. They failed the last time they tried and now, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the country's governing body for the sport, said they are facing the same problem.
"We're talking to them. The talks are alive," SBP executive director Sonny Barrios told Spin.ph.
"We're still talking to them," he added when pressed for information about Jordan Clarkson's availability for Gilas Pilipinas in Olympic qualifiers.
FIBA confirmed the Philippines as hosts along with Italy and Serbia. The other 15 teams that will compete for three remaining spots are Angola, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Serbia and Tunisia.
Jordan Clarkson is playing well for Los Angeles Lakers this season although his team is at the bottom of the Western Conference.
