Jordan Clarkson is arguably one of the greatest professional basketball players to have ties to the Philippines. Jalen Green may have something to say about that in a couple of seasons, but Clarkson is the face of Pinoy basketball pride right now. Basketball is the biggest sport in the country, so Clarkson's accomplishments in the NBA have made him an idol of many in his country of origin.
Despite being raised in San Antonio, Clarkson was brought up in a Filipino household and is close to his roots. His grandmother told stories about Pampanga, the province where she was born and made traditional dishes like chicken adobo and lumpia for the house.
Clarkson acknowledging and celebrating his Filipino heritage has made his popularity grow even more in the country. That is well-reflected through this incredible tattoo a fan got which features Clarkson wearing the Philippines jersey.
Where Does Jordan Clarkson Go Next?
Any team that Clarkson plays for will get a lot of support from the Philippines. He was drafted by the most popular NBA team in the world, the Los Angeles Lakers. The team had a small fan base in the country already, but it ballooned after Clarkson was drafted by them. The same can be said for the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Clarkson became an NBA Champion.
Cleveland and Los Angeles had large fan bases by virtue of their success and the players Clarkson played alongside. When he was traded to the Utah Jazz, another spike in popularity hit. Clarkson won Sixth Man of the Year in Utah in 2021 and was crucial in leading the team to the best record in the NBA that season.
Clarkson has been linked to a return with the Lakers, provided LA decides to send Russell Westbrook to Utah. Playing with LeBron in LA will be his previous 2 worlds colliding and the Filipino fan base will embrace that with open arms, as they have done everything in Clarkson's NBA career.
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