DARATING na si NBA star Jordan Clarkson ng Utah Jazz sa Manila.

Si Clarkson, na napili ng Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) at ni national team coach Chot Reyes para kumatawan sa bansa bilang naturalized player sa FIBA World Cup 2023, ay darating ngayong Martes ng umaga.

Ayon sa ulat, nag check in si Clarkson para sa non-stop 15-hour flight sakay ng Philippine Airlines PR 103. Nakatakdang dumating ito sa Manila ganap na 5:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Ang mga photos ng 6-5 Filipino- American, na nahirang bilang “Sixth Man of the Year” sa NBA nung 2021, kasama ang mga fans sa Los Angeles International Airport bago ang kanyang flight patungo sa bansa, ay natinghaysn din sa mga social media pages

Gayundin, si Los Angeles-based journalist Steve Angeles ng ABS CBN News ay nagbahagi ng photo sa kanyang Twitter.

Ang 31-year-old na si Clarkson ay inaasahang lalahok sa Gilas training simula Miyerkules matapos ang short three-team campaign sa Heyuan WUS International Basketball Tournament sa Guangdong, China.

Bagamat hindi nakalahok sa Heyuan pocket tournament, naniniwala si Reyes na na nasa :good basketball shape pa din si Clarkson.”

“We’ve been in constant communication. We’ve been talking about offenses, some concepts, about things. I’ve been messaging him about plans and what his role is going to be and he’s assured me that he’s in pretty good shape, he’s been working out, and working on his skills,” pahayag ni Reyes sa interview ni PBA commissioner Noli Eala sa Power and Play program sa Radio 5 nung Sabado.

“I think he’s in basketball shape. Maybe not in top-game shape right now, but he’ll have a couple of weeks to get there. As you know, a player of that caliber, that should be enough. So the only issue now is the integration,” dagdslag niya

“But he’s not coming in cold. He’s been with us before, he knows a little bit of what we’re doing already, and he knows the guys.”

Inaasahang ang Tampa, Florida-born na si Clarkson ay makatutulong ng malaki sa kampanya ng bansa laban sa Dominican Republic sa Aug. 25, Angola sa Aug. 27 at Italy sa Aug. 29 sa group stage.