Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma is an interesting character. From his tattoos to his relationship with fashion model Winnie Harlow, the Flint native can best be described as colorful. Perhaps that’s why he gets along so well with Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson.
In recent years, Clarkson has underwent a metamorphosis, leading to a rockstar aesthetic. His fade has turned into braids. His body has turned into a canvas. He’s even painting his fingernails, one of the biggest counterculture movements.
From the outside looking in, they look like two guys whose energy probably bounces off each other well. It doesn’t hurt that they’ve even been teammates, sharing the court with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017-18. Kuzma had just been drafted with the 27th pick out of Utah. Clarkson had been in L.A. since 2014-15, a second-round pick who played for Tulsa and Missouri.
Jordan Clarkson’s Former Teammate Kyle Kuzma Open To Joining Gilas Pilipinas
While Kuzma and Clarkson have known each other for several years, they were only teammates for two-thirds of a season. Clarkson was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Feb. 2018. After helping the Lakers win a championship in 2020, Kuzma was sent to the Washington Wizards that offseason.
However, there’s a chance that Kuzma and Clarkson could team up again.
In a one-on-one with ALL-STAR Magazine, Kuzma says he would be open to teaming up with Clarkson on Gilas Pilipinas.
“I mean, if I didn’t play for Team USA… I could rock out with JC. That would be cool,” he surmises.
Perhaps Kuzma’s answer was in jest. After all, his “No. 1 goal is to play with Team USA for sure in the Olympics, 100 percent, in four years.”
“I had an opportunity to play for Team USA back in (the) 2019 FIBA World Cup before I broke my foot. But, yeah, I think it’s really cool that other players are going other places to play because it’s very, very tough to play for Team USA. It’s the top of the top.”
Nonetheless, with myriad American players suiting up for countries other than the U.S. in international competitions, Kuzma could feasibly join the ranks. If it was for Gilas, there is one big hurdle that the team would have to clear though. FIBA rules state that a team can only have one naturalized player.
Can Jordan Clarkson’s Classification Change?
Clarkson’s mother, Annette Tullao Davis, is Filipina and was born in the country. However, a controversy over whether he obtained his Filipino citizenship before turning 16 has become a sticky situation. In order to circumvent the issue, he was made their naturalized player.
Still, Clarkson may have played long enough to be considered a local player.
“In Book 3, Article 3-20.b of their Internal Regulations rulebook tackling player eligibility, FIBA states that the secretary-general has the sole discretion to rule whether or not one can be classified as a local even without presenting a passport, provided that the player clears certain litmus checks.”
They consider:
The number of years the player has lived in the country they wish to play; The number of seasons they have played in domestic leagues, and; Any other criteria that establishes a link between player and country. (h/t Eros Villanueva of ESPN)
As previously mentioned, Clarkson’s mother is Filipina and a native of the Philippines. He’s been playing for the Philippines national team since 2018 and was recruited as far back as 2011. Maybe that isn’t enough for FIBA’s governing body. If it is, maybe Gilas will have two NBA players on the roster.
