After a successful rookie campaign, Lakers' guard Jordan Clarkson might be spending two weeks of his off-season in China to help the Philippines qualify for the 2016 Olympics.
Claiming that Clarkson's mother is a Filipino and that the young gun got a Philippine passport when he was twelve, the Philippines included the member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team on the official 24-man lineup from which their 12-man roster for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championships will be drawn.
FIBA will have to check first if Clarkson is truly eligible to play for the Philippines. They now require players with dual citizenship to prove that they are citizens of another country by acquiring passports before they are 16.
If the 23-year-old will be allowed to play, the chances of Lakers blocking him to participate is almost unlikely. Asked for their comments regarding the "natural born" player, Lakers spokesman John Black released the following statement to the Philippine Daily Inquirer:
"We know that he is over there having conversations with the National team and other governing organizations. But we have no additional information that we could share with you at this time."
The FIBA-Asia will commence on September 23 and extend through October 3 wherein sixteen teams will vie for an automatic bid to the 2016 Olympics. Having Clarkson in the lineup, the Philippines would most likely be one of the favorites to win the tournament.
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