(UPDATED 6:20 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines – Cleveland’s Jordan Clarkson will finally suit up for the Philippine national basketball team in the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
This after the Fil-Am guard has been given the green light by the National Basketball Association to play for the Philippines. The Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) likewise allowed Clarkson’s re-insertion into the lineup, paving the way for the NBA player's stint with the Philippines in the quadrennial meet.
The Philippines’ chef de mission to the Asiad Richard Gomez confirmed the development, saying Clarkson is ready to board the earliest flight to Jakarta just in time for the country’s first game against Kazakhstan on Thursday.
However, the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) said there is still no formal announcement from the NBA.
The world's premier professional basketball league earlier disallowed Clarkson from suiting up for Team Philippines in the Asiad, prompting strong opposition from the Philippines' basketball federation and many Filipino fans.
The SBP raised the fact that China has been allowed to field two of its players that are currently in contract with NBA teams: Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang, who are listed in the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks rosters, respectively.
Clarkson thus replaces Don Trollano, who was originally put in the 12-man lineup after the NBA's announcment disallowing Clarkson's Asiad stint.