By REYNALD MAGALLON
NBA star Jordan Clarkson has finally committed to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup.
No less than Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio made the announcement on Tuesday, July 25, as the two camps finally settled into an agreement after a long back-and-forth negotiation.
The announcement also came exactly the date Gilas head coach Chot Reyes to have all the players for the World Cup on board.
Clarkson, who first committed at least six weeks of training with the team last year, however, won’t be joining the team until Aug. 6 giving him a full three weeks to get himself accustomed to the plays and establish chemistry with the rest of the team.
The 6-foot-5 Utah Jazz guard and former NBA sixth man of the year will also miss Gilas’ trip to China where it is set to play Iran, Lebanon and Senegal in a pocket tournament.
Good thing, Clarkson isn’t entirely new to the Gilas system having played with a good number of the current pool members during the fourth window of the qualifiers where he averaged 25 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds in the two games against Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
On top of that, he will still have ample time with Gilas though with the team already securing tuneup games against Montenegro and Mexico just a week before their first game against Dominican Republic on Aug. 25
With the announcement, the other Gilas naturalized player in Justin Brownlee will be relegated as the team’s reserve.
