After a back-and-forth struggle to get the green light to represent his home nation of the Philippines in the Asian Games, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson’s efforts were rewarded when he led his country’s delegation as the flag bearer in the opening ceremonies of the tournament.
The 26-year-old recently shared his thoughts on the amazing moment with Stephen Wade of the Charlotte Observer. Clarkson compared its magnitude to the NBA Finals experience he had just a few months ago.
“It was probably one of the happiest days I’ve had in my career, in my life,” Clarkson said Sunday, a day after the opening ceremony in the Indonesian capital. “Just seeing everybody’s face, how happy everybody was.”
The Tampa, Florida native went on to relay how this was easily one of the most memorable moments in his young career.
“It was up there, definitely,” he said. “I haven’t seen something like that — ever. I didn’t know how big the Asian Games were until I came out of that tunnel.”
Clarkson is the only NBA player in the Philippine squad composed of professionals playing in the nation’s domestic league. This puts a ton of pressure on Clarkson to step up his game as the best player on the team. Nevertheless, the 6-foot-5 guard denies feeling the weight on his shoulders.
“I don’t think there’s pressure for any of the guys,” said the Filipino-American. “You say all the pressure is going to be on me, but I don’t think so. We got a team full of players that are ready to come out there and compete.”
Clarkson missed his country’s opening victory against Kazakhstan on Thursday due to the delays on his clearance from the NBA. The Philippines are set to face powerhouse China on Tuesday with Clarkson optimistic on having a memorable debut for his nation.