Jordan Clarkson

BIOGRAPHY

Jordan Taylor Clarkson was born on June 7, 1992, in Tampa, Florida. His African-American father, Mike Clarkson, and mother, Filipino-American Annette Tullao Davis, both served in the United States Air Force. The couple divorced during Jordan’s childhood, and his father later married Janie Clarkson. At approximately six years old, Jordan relocated to San Antonio, Texas. Both his primary education and introduction to basketball occurred in this community, shaping the foundation of his professional basketball career.

During his attendance at Karen Wagner High School in San Antonio, Clarkson began making a name for himself in the world of high school basketball. In his sophomore year, he averaged ten points per game and earned an honorable mention accolade. As he progressed, his junior year saw him average twenty points per game and lead his team to an impressive 32-8 record in the Class 5A state semi-finals.

Clarkson’s high school success led to his acceptance at the University of Tulsa to play college basketball starting from November 11, 2009. His brilliant performance in the first season earned him four ‘Conference USA Freshman of the Week’ titles and cemented his position on the 2011 Conference USA All-Freshman team.

Despite his success at Tulsa, Clarkson transferred to the University of Missouri in May 2012. After redshirting his first year due to NCAA transfer rules, he found his stride and was named to the All-Southeastern Conference second team. Opting to forgo his final year of college eligibility, Clarkson declared for the 2014 NBA draft.

The Washington Wizards selected Clarkson with the 46th pick in the second round. However, the Wizards immediately traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. Clarkson’s debut season with the Lakers was memorable as he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Despite spending part of the time on assignment with the team’s developmental league, Clarkson managed to prove his worth and joined Jeremy Lin to form the first Asian-American starting backcourt in NBA history.

In 2018, the Lakers traded Clarkson to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His tenure with the club was brief, moving on to the Utah Jazz in a trade deal in December 2019. During his time with Utah, he received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021.

Throughout his career, Clarkson’s Filipino heritage allowed him to connect with the NBA’s existing fan base in the Philippines. In 2011, talks began about him playing for the Philippine national team, an endeavor that would face several hurdles due to FIBA’s citizenship requirements.

However, in 2018 the NBA cleared Clarkson to play for the Philippine team in the Asian Games, making it the first time for him to represent the country in international competition on a one-time exception rule. Despite a grueling schedule and challenging games, Clarkson led the team to a fifth-place finish – its best position in 16 years. Later that year, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the national basketball federation of the Philippines, accepted Clarkson as a naturalized player, paving the way for his participation in future FIBA tournaments.

Away from basketball, Clarkson has a daughter and lives in San Antonio, Texas. As of 2022, he is in a romantic relationship with American singer-songwriter Maggie Lindemann. Throughout his career and personal life, Clarkson has strived to use his visibility to create connections and opportunities, and to inspire young athletes to work hard and achieve their dreams with integrity and determination.