Have there been any Filipino NBA players?
Have there been any Filipino NBA players?
By Edcel Panganiban November 19, 2024 04:54
The Philippines is a country that has remained crazy for basketball. It would not take more than a kilometer of travelling from the airport for one to find a court that people can hoop in. However, the nation does not have much luck in pushing their talents into the NBA just yet. In fact, there have been no pure Filipinos in the association since it started but some players come from this archipelago comprised of more than a thousand islands. But, some players in the league represent a part of their Filipino heritage despite not being full-blooded.
Jordan Clarkson
He is the most recognizable person on this list. Jordan Clarkson has played with a ton of great athletes throughout his career. To put that into perspective, there are only a handful of players who got to be in the same roster as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. He is one of those distinct guards who got the honor of playing with them both.
Now, Clarkson is one the top scoring options for the Utah Jazz. However, he has not forgotten his Filipino roots as he played for the Philippines' National Team in various tournaments like the FIBA World Cup.
Raymond Townsend
A large population of Filipino immigrants primarily reside on the West Coast. So, it comes to no one's surprise that the first player to reach the NBA from the community donned a Golden State Warriors jersey. Raymond Townsend is a big advocate of having the annual Filipino Heritage Night. It started off with the Warriors but other teams in the NBA started having their own until MLB and NFL franchises also did their versions of this event.
Townsend may have only played four seasons in the NBA but his impact in helping push for representation is surely undeniable.
Jalen Green
Someone who has yet to enter their prime, Jalen Green has been a rising star for the Houston Rockets. His scoring chops got him an NBA G League Ignite deal before getting picked second overall in the draft. Prior to all of this fame, he usually came to the Philippines during the summer to compete against other Fil-Foreign and local stars.
He may have represented Team USA while he was competing in U19 international tournaments but his Filipino blood is coursing in their somewhere.
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