NBA player Jordan Clarkson arrived on Friday to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the fourth window of the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers.
The Utah Jazz's Fil-Am guard arrived in a Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles at 6:30 p.m. and was mobbed by onlookers and media before he was whisked to the VIP lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2.
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Clarkson, 30, was later fetched by representatives of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) as he embarks on his first tour of duty with the national team of his mom's home country for the first time since the 2018 Asian Games.
This time, the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year will be playing with a mix of PBA stars, college standouts, and overseas-based players tasked to lift the spirits of Gilas after a pair of disappointing results under under-fire coach Chot Reyes.
[READ: SBP insists Nenad, Gilas parted ways amicably]
For most, the August 25 away game against Lebanon and the home tie against Saudi Arabia on August 29 represents Gilas' best chance to atone for its failure to win gold at the SEA Games and a ninth-place finish at the Fiba Asia Cup.
Clarkson will be teaming up for the first time with most of the 24 players in the Gilas pool, including Australia-based Kai Sotto.
However, the Jazz sixth man will be playing as a naturalized player while SBP waits for the result of its appeal on Clarkson's status before Fiba.
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