MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson is in it for the long-haul with the Utah Jazz, following a four-year, extension to his contract worth $52 million.
Only having joined the Jazz earlier this year, Clarkson cited relationships he had formed within the squad, as well as fitting in with the system, as reasons for his staying with the organization.
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"Just the relationships with everybody, you know. The guys, they've been great, the relationship with coach and overall just the fit, and the city has been great to me as well," said Clarkson during the NBA's media week.
"Just feeling comfortable, peace of mind and everybody just having the same goal of winning and growing together. I feel that's where it all came from me," he added.
Though having only played 42 games for the Jazz in the 2019-20 season, Clarkson immediately made his presence felt and became a significant part of Quin Snyder's game plan until the post season.
The 28-year-old ushered in a 10-game winning streak directly after his arrival, and continued to be a reliable scorer for the Jazz, posting norms of 15.6 points per outing.
Clarkson became a crucial cog in the Jazz's push in the postseason, though were given the early boot after a seven-game battle with the Denver Nuggets in the Orlando bubble.
Still in the prime of his career, the Filipino-American cager looks forward to improving himself more with the Jazz in the coming years.
"You know wanting to continue to grow here, continue to do great things here in Utah with this team," Clarkson said.
"Definitely didn't want to leave this guys, it's crazy how fast I connected with these guys and this group... it's been great for me and I didn't want to lose that," he added.
The new NBA season begins for the Utah Jazz and the rest of the 30 teams of the league before Christmas. For Clarkson and the Jazz in particular, the new season tips off on December 23 (December 24, Manila time) against the Portland Trail Blazers.