Knicks’ Clarkson puts Philippine hoops on the map with NBA title
MANILA, Philippines — Jordan Clarkson has made Philippine basketball history.
Clarkson became the first NBA player with Filipino descent to win a championship in the NBA, after the New York Knicks clinched the coveted title on Sunday (Manila time).
The Knicks hacked out a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Finals at the Frost Bank Center in Texas.
Clarkson saw limited minutes for New York, finishing with two points and a rebound in six minutes and seven seconds of play.
The 34-year-old guard has represented Gilas Pilipinas in international tournaments, with the most recent in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
A player with Filipino blood hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy was already set in stone before the Finals started, with Dylan Harper representing the Philippines for the Spurs.
In Game 5, Harper led San Antonio with 25 points off the bench, to go with five rebounds and four assists.
The rookie guard even blocked Clarkson late in the third quarter.
His short jumper also tied things up at 88-all with 1:16 remaining in the game, but he missed a layup within the final 30 seconds that would have tied the ballgame anew at 90-all.
And with New York leading by three, 93-90, with 8.5 seconds to go, Harper had a chance to close the gap with free throws.
However, he missed both of his free throws, which seemingly shut the door on the Spurs’ chances.
And while Harper may have outperformed his fellow Filipino-American in the series, it was Clarkson who ended up having the last laugh with the Knicks halting a 53-year championship drought.
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