By JONAS TERRADO
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will try to once again convince FIBA to allow NBA cager Jordan Clarkson play as a local in time for the country’s hosting of the 2023 World Cup.
Returning Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes bared that SBP chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan hopes to travel to the FIBA headquarters in Switzerland sometime in the few months in a bid to settle the long-standing issue of Clarkson’s status.
“Not only are we making moves, but we are making serious moves,” Reyes said in the program Power and Play.
“Chairman MVP is planning a trip to Geneva in March or April to really personally lobby to allow Jordan to play as a local. And that’s how serious we are,” added Reyes, without giving further details.
FIBA has so far listed Clarkson as a player eligible to suit up as a naturalized player for competitions like the World Cup, although the SBP maintained that the Utah Jazz super sub had secured a passport when he was 12.
Players can suit up for a country in FIBA tournaments as a local, provided they were able to get a passport before turning 16.
The world governing body has only allowed one naturalized player per team in tournaments, and Gilas currently has Ateneo standout Ange Kouame having that permanent role.
In case a decision comes out favoring Clarkson as a local, it would provide Gilas a tremendous boost as it aims to make a strong impression with the Philippines hosting majority of the 2023 World Cup mat
ches.
Clarkson did get to don the Gilas jersey in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia which saw the Rain-or-Shine-backed Philippines team finish fifth.
But Clarkson was permitted to suit up as a local since eligibility rules in events like the Asiad are more relaxed compared to FIBA competitions.
SENSE OF URGENCY
Meantime, Reyes said: “There is absolutely no plan to have PBA players in the windows. I don’t know where people got that idea,” Reyes said in the program Power and Play hosted by former commissioner Noli Eala.
“It’s only for this window because of the urgency of the situation that we are calling up the TNT players to augment the current Gilas lineup because there are very few of them. Pag hindi tayo nagsama ng TNT players dito, madedefault tayo sa window sa February.
“But other than that, the plan is just to continue to develop, to prepare a team for 2023,” he added.
Brought back following Tab Baldwin’s decision to step down, Reyes was left with a handful of players who can be available for the first window, with several players based overseas and a few members opting to be released from their contracts as Gilas pool members.
University of the Philippines’ Carl Tamayo and La Salle’s Justin Baltazar have been ruled out of the first window since they’ll be focused on preparations for their respective teams in the UAAP.
That prompted Reyes to suggest adding TNT players in order to speed up cohesion with the rest of the Gilas pool.