Jordan Clarkson

Jordan Clarkson is a Filipino-American NBA champion whose decade-plus professional career has helped elevate the visibility of Filipino basketball on the global stage. Selected 46th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, he earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honours in his debut season and established himself as one of the league’s most dynamic scoring guards, highlighted by a career-best 16.8 points per game during the 2018–19 season. He made history as the first Filipino-American to win an NBA championship when the New York Knicks captured the 2026 title, ending the franchise’s 53-year championship drought.

Clarkson’s deep connection to his heritage has also defined his international career. He represented Gilas Pilipinas at the 2018 Asian Games, where he averaged 26 points per game, and later led the national team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. In September 2026, he reaffirmed his commitment to the national program, expressing his desire to suit up for the Philippines again at the next FIBA World Cup as a tribute to his late grandmother. Alongside the rise of other Filipino-American athletes, Clarkson’s championship milestone cements his position at the forefront of global Filipino representation in basketball.