By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
After a series of heartbreaks in just a span of three months, the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team will be going all out in the upcoming fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Head coach Chot Reyes recently announced that Filipino-American NBA star Jordan Clarkson will be available for the upcoming international tournament this coming August and will join the active roster yet to be announced by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
“We have word that Jordan Clarkson is coming to join the team to play in the 25th and the 29th,” Reyes bared during an episode of PlayItRight TV.
The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year last played for Gilas during the 2018 edition of the Asian Games and helped PHL end their campaign with a fifth-place finish.
Clarkson and the Yeng Guiao-led squad closed out their outing on a high note after demolishing Syria, 109-55, and became their best finish in the Asian Games since 2002.
The men’s national team recently suffered a silver-medal finish during the Southeast Asian Games championship match against Indonesia and weren’t able to qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 15 years.
Gilas fought a revamped Japanese national squad during the knockout match and just had no answer to their hot-shooting from the three-point territory and fell 102-81.
This is the first loss of the Filipino hoopers against the Japanese in the FIBA Asia Cup since 2003 and ended their campaign with a disappointing 1-3 record.
With the national team facing backlash and questions surrounding the roster, head coach Reyes and the rest of the coaching staff are still optimistic for the World Cup Asian qualifiers with the addition of Clarkson.
Kai Sotto’s decision of rejoining Gilas is also one of the national team’s major concerns since getting undrafted during the 2022 NBA Rookie Draft.
“Hopefully, Kai Sotto can make it this time. We will only start practicing on August 15 when everyone is available,” added the veteran chief tactician.
