JORDAN Clarkson doesn’t think he played his final game in a Gilas Pilipinas uniform.
The NBA star of the Utah Jazz vowed to continue representing the country in international competition, hopefully for another shot at the FIBA World Cup competition in 2027 in Qatar.
READ: Thanks to big win over China, Gilas catches last bus to Olympic qualifiers
Of course, four years from now, Clarkson would already be 35, though as they say, age is but a number.
“Thirthy five. I know 30 is the new 20, right? I still feel young, I still feel like I can compete. I don’t think that’s my last performance in this jersey,” said the 6-foot-5 shooting guard and product of Tulsa and Missouri.
If it was, Clarkson put up a performance of a lifetime, dazzling a lively crowd of 11,080 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum – and millions more worldwide – behind a frantic third quarter shooting that proved to be the key in Gilas’ 96-76 shelllacking of China to clinch its first win in the quadrennial meet since the 2014 edition in Seville, Spain.
He finished with 34 points including 24 in that sizzling run in the third period.
Clarkson went 5-of-10 from downtown, four of them he hit in succession in the Philippine team breakaway, and was 11-of-18 from the field in all, while adding two rebounds and three assists.
Filipino basketball fans apparently, haven’t seen the last of the Gilas main man as he still sees himself donning the Philippine tricolors in future international meets.
“I got more time, I can still hoop,” said the former NBA Sixth Man awardee known for his corn row hairstyle.
Asiad out for Clarkson
“I can’t even tell you what I’m eating in the morning. But yes, hopefully, down the line when that time comes around again, I’l might be able to put this jersey and represent the country.”
The 19th Asian Games, set in Hangzhou, China three weeks from now, is certainly out of Clarkson’s calendar as the 31-year-old native of Tampa, Florida is set to return to the US in the coming days and prepare for the coming new season of the NBA.
Clarkson first suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta, Indonesia where he reinforced a national team whose core was composed of the Rain or Shine team and coached by Yeng Guiao.
He later played his first game under coach Chot Reyes during the fourth window of last year's World Cup qualifiers held in Lebanon and at the Mall of Asia Arena against Wael Arakji and the Cedars and the Saudi Arabia national team.
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