#LetJordanPlay viral for NBA star to play for Gilas

FILE: “Congrats to my bros and the country. Such a honor for the country, qualifying for the world cup, so hyped!” (Photo: @jordanclarksons/Instagram)

National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jordan Clarkson has expressed his desire to play in the FIBA World Cup for the Philippine National team; Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) extending efforts to provide the basketball star with citizenry for eligibility.

After clinching onto a World Cup berth through their win against Kazakhstan last weekend, the Filipino-American Cleveland Cavalier shared a photo of himself wearing the Philippines’ team jersey on social media, captioned, “Such a honor for the country, qualifying for the World Cup! So hyped! Hope to see you guys in China!”

The 26-year-old has previously represented the country in the Asian games, but with FIBA rules restricting each team to only one naturalized player, Coach Yeng Guiao would have to choose only between Clarkson and ex-Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche, who contributed a total of 41 points in the last game. In response to the news, Blatche told Sports5 television, “If we can get him, that would be huge. If we were to have me and him together with the team we have now, we can definitely go and make some noise, make some wins.”

In order not to have to make that decision, the SBP is attempting to negotiate with FIBA, convincing them that Clarkson is a Filipino by blood under law and obtained his Filipino passports at the age of 16. SBP president Al Panlilio shared with the media when expressing his desire to add the player on his team to compete in the World Cup, saying, “It’s perfect timing because the NBA is on break. Definitely, Jordan will help us a lot.”

In response to Clarkson’s posts, Filipino basketball fans have expressed their desire to see the “dream team” including Blatche and Clarkson, the hashtag ‘#LetJordanPlay’ soon circulating the internet. The team is also looking ahead in having the young professional player a part of the national team for the 2023 World Cup.