JORDAN Clarkson has gained a fan in an NBA legend for having the offensive freedom without the pressure of being a superstar.
The Utah Jazz bench sparkplug drew praise from retired NBA guard Dwyane Wade in the middle of a career season that has seen Clarkson emerge as the Sixth Man of the Year award frontrunner.
“If I could come back again in the NBA, I wanna be Jordan Clarkson,” Wade said during the TNT broadcast of the Jazz’s 117-109 win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Manila time.
“I don’t want to be a superstar, because I want to keep my knees good and all that,” he added. “I want to be Jordan Clarkson, coming off the bench, shooting anytime I want.”
Wade did last 16 years in the league and retired at 37, but injuries slowed him down in the last few years of his great career that saw him become a three-time champion and one-time Finals MVP.
And if he could make a comeback, Flash would enjoy the role of Clarkson, who’s averaging a career-high 18 points on 44.4-percent shooting, on top of 3.9 boards, 2.2 assists, and 0.9 steals in 25.9 minutes, coming off the bench in all 39 games so far.
Wade talked to the 28-year-old Filipino-American combo guard after the Jazz’s win against the Celtics.
“I love your role, man,” Wade said. “I love the way you come in and just get right to it. You take it seriously. But also, I love your style and your fashion off the court. I’m a big fan. Just keep doing what you’re doing and keep going.”
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