Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson first Asian-American to win NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
- ‘Once Gilas, always Gilas,’ Philippines basketball president says of star who played for country at 2018 Asian Games
- First Utah Jazz player to win the award is first Asian-American to win any of the NBA’s six annual awards
Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson has made history as the first Asian-American player to win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award and the first to win any of the NBA’s six annual awards.
The Utah Jazz player was given the award on Monday after a career best season, beating teammate Joe Ingles and Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks.
Clarkson becomes the first Jazz player to win the prestigious award, which is eligible to players who have made more appearances from the bench than they started games.
He averaged a career-high 18.4 points per game over 68 appearances this regular season, only one of which was a start.
The 28-year-old represented the Philippines at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where he helped the Gilas Pilipinas to a fifth-place finish.
He was congratulated by the Philippines Basketball Association (SBP) on Tuesday.
Gilas may lose Clarkson for World Cup if Fiba enforce naturalisation rule
“Congratulations on winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, Jordan. The SBP and the entire Philippine basketball community is proud of you,” SBP president Al Panlilio said, as reported by the Philippines News Agency.
“In his short and sweet stint with Gilas Pilipinas, Jordan Clarkson showed us not only his world-class talent but also gave us a glimpse of the hard work and dedication necessary to get to that level.
“Getting a front-row look at Jordan during Asian Games made us all believers that he will accomplish great things in the NBA.”
“Once Gilas, always Gilas,” he added.
The SBP had to arrange a deal with Clarkson’s then team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as FIBA’s rules regarding dual nationals meant the team were not obliged to let him play at the Asian Games.
He has not played for the Philippines since. The country is co-host of the 2023 FIBA World Cup along with Indonesia and Japan.
Jordan Clarkson tells Gilas Pilipinas ‘see you in China’, but will Fiba let him play?
While the SBP want Clarkson at the next World Cup, he has more immediate goals: the NBA title with the Jazz.
“We’re going for something else,” Clarkson said. “We’ve got bigger goals ahead of us. That’s what we’re trying to go get.”
The Jazz face the Memphis Grizzlies in the ongoing NBA Play-offs.
