NBA defends Jordan Clarkson’s designation to Team USA in Rising Stars Challenge

MANILA, Philippines – The NBA on Friday clarified its classification of Jordan Clarkson to Team USA instead of Team World in the Rising Stars Challenge exhibition game in the 2016 All-Star Weekend in Toronto next month.

In an email to Philstar.com early Friday, the NBA's communications department said Clarkson has been designated to Team USA because he was born in the United States.

Philstar.com contacted the league amid sentiment by some Filipino fans who think the Los Angeles Lakers’ Filipino-American guard should be playing for Team World instead.

The 23-year-old Clarkson, whose mother Annnette Davis is half Filipino, was born in Tampa, Florida but holds a Philippine passport. The Lakers’ rising star is hoping to don the Philippine colors for Gilas Pilipinas in the upcoming FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament this July.

But being US-born, the NBA said Clarkson has been assigned to play for Team USA in the Rising Stars Challenge. The game will showcase the league’s top-performing rookies and sophomores on February 12 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

The NBA also furnished Philstar.com a copy of the press release it sent out prior to the start of the 2015-2016 season that lists the names of international players who are included in the rosters of the league’s 30 teams.

A total of 100 international players have made it to the respective lineups of the NBA’s 30 teams, and Clarkson is not included in the list.

Nevertheless, Eric Pincus of Lakers Now blog reported that Clarkson is still proud to represent the Philippines even though he will see action for Team USA.

Jordan Clarkson told me he would love to play on world team for the rookie/soph game but either way he'll still proudly rep the Philippines

— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2016

Clarkson is averaging 15.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Lakers, who are currently at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 9-38 win-loss record.

He was picked 46th overall by Los Angeles in the 2014 NBA Draft.