Kuya JC goes full Pinoy on the cover.
Filipino-American NBA star Jordan Clarkson along with his Utah Jazz teammate Lauri Markkanen graced the cover of popular basketball magazine SLAM (issue 243). The feature on the dynamic duo includes a shot of them rocking the Nike LeBron 20 and the Kobe AD Mid. Perhaps since the FIBA World Cup is fast approaching, they were also seen, proudly holding up the flags that they’re representing.
Clarkson, brimming with swag, had the Philippines’ red, white, and blue draped over his shoulders, while Markkanen held the Finnish banner and made it a part of the backdrop.
Both the Philippines and Finland are already qualified for the global hoops summit. The Jazz big man who was named to the NBA All-Star team this season will likely to make the trip to Asia this August. The 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year on the other hand is one of the leading candidates to be Gilas Pilipinas’ naturalized player for FIBA’s flagship event.
Nevertheless, seeing Clarkson with the Philippine flag is a big boost of confidence to his Filipino fans. As the photo suggests, he is proud of his roots. Doubts about his commitment to the national team may have already been removed. Hey, even his Gilas teammate and popular Japan B.League cager Thirdy Ravena was pumped up to JC on SLAM.
The former Ateneo Blue Eagles standout got on Instagram to give the 6-foot-6 scoring specialist a shoutout.
If Clarkson does make the Gilas squad bound for the World Cup, count on the nine-year NBA veteran to continue getting buckets for coach Chot Reyes. In the two games that he played in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the 30-year-old wing averaged 25 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.