Jordan Clarkson has not yet given up on his desire to play for Gilas

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Filipino-American NBA player Jordan Clarkson has not yet given up on his desire to join the Philippine national men’s basketball team this year.

Clarkson told KicksOnFire.com this week that he is looking at a Gilas Pilipinas stint at the 2016 Rio Olympics should the Filipinos qualify.

“Right now it’s just working with FIBA and hopefully everything goes through. Hopefully we’ll be able to get through the qualifier so that I can represent the country in Rio this summer. We hope all that stuff works out,” Clarkson said.

“I think we’ll be ok as a team. I practiced with them a few times last year and I think we’ll be fine as long as we leave it all out there.”

Last April, outgoing Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas chief Manny V. Pangilinan said that including Clarkson in Gilas Pilipinas is a challenge since there are issues with his eligibility.

Pangilinan said FIBA told him that Clarkson can only join Gilas Pilipinas as its lone naturalized player, a spot taken by Andray Blatche, and not as a local despite the Fil-Am being able to obtain a Philippine passport.

But basing on what Clarkson said, there might still be a chance that Filipino fans would see him don the country’s colors. And the stage is no less than the Olympics which the Filipinos are trying to reach for the first time in 44 years.

source: interaksyon.com