LOS ANGELES - For the first time since its inception in 1950, the 2027 edition of the Fiba World Cup will be held in an Arab country in Qatar.
And if it were up to Jordan Clarkson, he would like to play for Gilas Piilpinas.
"For sure," the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year told SPIN.ph contributor Venancio Valencia Jr. on Tuesday night at the Intuit Dome where Clarkson scored 20 points in Utah's 144-107 loss to the L.A. Clippers.
READ Are Jordan Clarkson, Ange Kouame still part of Gilas plans?
"To have an opportunity to play for him in the national team I think that would be dope," JC added of new Gilas head coach Tim Cone.
The NBA player has become familiar with Cone during the 2023 World Cup of basketball in Manila, where the concurrent Barangay Ginebra coach was an assistant/ consultant to Chot Reyes in the Gilas side.
"(He's) pretty organized and does a great job of communicating. Seems really smart at the time I've been around him. Seems like a great coach, you know. To have an opportunity to play for him in the national team I think that would be dope."
With Justin Brownlee well-entrenched as Gilas' naturalized player and Bennie Boatwright set to get on board as a back-up, Clarkson's only place at Gilas in the current set-up appeared to be as a local player.
Citing the case of other countries which have as many as "four dudes," the Fil-Am guard is optimistic that he can rep the red, white and blue as a local.
Unfortunately, that ship has sailed.
Although he acknowledged that Clarkson "will always be one of our naturalized players," Samahang Basketbol Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio clarified in a separate interview that "we have already tried our best and Clarkson will never be given local status by FIBA."
"He just doesn't qualify," Panlilio added.
Playing as a naturalized asset will have to suffice then.
Also the coach of Ginebra and the winningest in the PBA, Cone, as Gilas coach, was able to unlock the potential of Kai Sotto and unleash the 7-foot-3 center in recent Fiba games.
Just imagine the possibilities when coach Tim collaborates with JC.
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