Jordan Clarkson
June 7, 1992 — Tampa, Florida
Jordan Taylor Clarkson is an American and Filipino professional basketball player whose electrifying scoring off the bench earned him the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award and made him one of the most celebrated reserve players in the league.
Early Life and College Career
Born on June 7, 1992 in Tampa, Florida, to a Filipino mother and African-American father, Clarkson grew up with a dual cultural identity that would later make him a major figure for Filipino basketball fans worldwide. He began his college career at the University of Tulsa before transferring to the University of Missouri, where his combination of scoring ability and athleticism drew NBA attention. After his junior year he declared for the 2014 NBA Draft and was selected by the Washington Wizards in the second round — then immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA Career and Sixth Man Award
Clarkson made an immediate impression with the Lakers, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In March 2015, alongside Jeremy Lin, he became part of the first all-Asian-American starting backcourt in NBA history — a milestone celebrated widely in Asian-American communities. After stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and, briefly, other organizations, Clarkson was traded to the Utah Jazz in December 2019. In Salt Lake City his career reached its peak: used as a dynamic scorer off the bench, he averaged 18.4 points per game in the 2020–21 season and was unanimously voted the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, one of the more dominant reserve performances the league had seen in years. He subsequently signed with the New York Knicks, continuing his career as one of the league's most reliable scoring guards.
Did You Know?
Clarkson chose to represent the Philippines in FIBA international competition rather than the United States, becoming a fan favorite across the Philippine basketball community. He played in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers and has brought enormous attention to Philippine basketball, which takes the sport as seriously as any nation in Asia.
Cultural Impact
Clarkson's significance extends well beyond his statistics. As one of the few NBA players with Filipino heritage, he has become a cultural ambassador and inspiration for Filipino youth both in the United States and in the Philippines, where basketball is the national sport. He has spoken publicly about the pride he takes in representing that community and has been embraced enthusiastically by Filipino fans worldwide. His NBA success and his decision to represent the Philippines internationally have given him an outsized profile in a country of more than 100 million people who adore the game.