Jordan Clarkson Bio
Jordan Taylor Clarkson (born June 7, 1992) is an American and Filipino professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A versatile guard listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 194 pounds, Clarkson has built a reputation as one of the league’s most reliable bench scorers and earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021. He also holds Filipino citizenship and has represented the Philippine national team in international competition. In 2025, he won the NBA Cup with the Knicks, adding a major team trophy to his resume.
Selected 46th overall in the 2014 NBA draft out of Missouri, Clarkson developed into a starter with the Los Angeles Lakers before settling into a featured reserve role with the Utah Jazz. Across more than a decade in the NBA, he has played for the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jazz, and Knicks, accumulating career highlights that include All-Rookie honors, a Sixth Man award, and an NBA Cup championship.
Early Life and Background
Jordan Taylor Clarkson was born in Tampa, Florida, to Mike Clarkson, who is African-American, and Annette Tullao Davis, who is Filipino American. His maternal grandmother, Marcelina Tullao Kingsolver, was from Bacolor, Pampanga, in the Philippines. Both of his parents served in the United States Air Force, and they divorced when Clarkson was young; his father later remarried Janie Clarkson. Clarkson carries dual American and Filipino citizenship through his maternal lineage.
Around the age of six, Clarkson moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he grew up and attended Karen J. Wagner High School. He became a standout there, averaging 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists per game as a junior and leading his team to a 32–8 record and a Class 5A state semifinal appearance. As a senior, he averaged 18.9 points and helped his team post a 38–2 record while earning San Antonio High School Player of the Year honors. On November 11, 2009, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball at the University of Tulsa.
Path to Basketball
Clarkson began his college career at Tulsa, where he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2010–11 after averaging 11.5 points per game. As a sophomore, he became a first-team All-Conference USA selection and an NABC All-District 11 pick, raising his scoring average to 16.5 points while starting all 31 games. After two seasons with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, he transferred to the University of Missouri in May 2012.
Because of NCAA transfer rules, Clarkson had to sit out the 2012–13 season and used the year to develop his game. In his redshirted junior year at Missouri, he earned second-team All-SEC honors and was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list in January 2014. He also won three SEC Player of the Week awards and averaged 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists across 35 starts. On March 31, 2014, Clarkson declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final season of college eligibility.
Jordan Clarkson Career
Early Career (2014–2018)
Clarkson was selected with the 46th pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on draft night for cash considerations. He signed with the Lakers on August 25, 2014, and split his rookie season between Los Angeles and the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League. After returning to the Lakers, he started 38 games and averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds, finishing the year on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
On July 7, 2016, Clarkson re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $50 million contract. He continued to develop as a scorer off the bench, including a career-high 35 points and eight made three-pointers in an overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 24, 2017. By the following January, he had set a new season high with 33 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers, cementing his reputation as a microwave scorer.
Los Angeles Lakers Era (2014–2018)
Drafted by the Wizards and traded to the Lakers on draft night, Clarkson joined a rebuilding franchise and quickly earned minutes as a ball-handling guard. On March 24, 2015, he tied a season best with 30 points and seven assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Starting alongside Jeremy Lin that night, he became part of the first Asian-American starting backcourt in NBA history. He also built a passionate following in the Philippines thanks to his Filipino heritage.
After re-signing on a long-term deal in 2016, Clarkson produced some of his highest-scoring games as a Laker, including five steals against the Brooklyn Nets and a 35-point outburst against the Timberwolves. The Lakers eventually traded him on February 8, 2018, sending him and Larry Nance Jr. to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a first-round pick.
Cleveland Cavaliers Era (2018–2019)
Clarkson debuted for the Cavaliers on February 11, 2018, scoring 17 points in a win over the Boston Celtics. Cleveland reached the 2018 NBA Finals but was swept in four games by the Golden State Warriors. He continued to produce as a scorer, dropping 28 points on the New York Knicks on December 12, 2018, and erupting for a career-high 42 points in a triple-overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets on February 13, 2019.
Utah Jazz Era (2019–2025)
On December 24, 2019, the Cavaliers traded Clarkson to the Utah Jazz, where he became a featured weapon off the bench. He re-signed with the Jazz on a four-year, $52 million deal in November 2020 and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for 2020–21 after averaging a career-high 18.4 points and leading the league with 203 made three-pointers. He was the first Utah player to win the award.
Clarkson continued to produce high-scoring nights in Utah, including 40 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 15, 2021, and a career-high 45 points on 15-of-21 shooting against the Sacramento Kings on March 12, 2022. He later signed a two-year, $28.4 million extension on July 7, 2023, and on January 1, 2024, recorded his first career triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Dallas Mavericks. After a 2024–25 season shortened by a plantar fasciitis procedure, he reached a buyout agreement with the Jazz on June 30, 2025.
New York Knicks Era (2025–Present)
On July 7, 2025, Clarkson signed with the New York Knicks on a minimum contract. Joining a contender in the Eastern Conference, he provided scoring punch off the bench and reached the NBA Finals in his first season. In Game 5 of the Finals, he helped the Knicks close out a 4–1 series win over the San Antonio Spurs with a 94–90 victory, securing the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years. He also became the first player of Filipino descent to win an NBA championship.
Driving Style and Strengths
Off the court, Clarkson is best known for his quick-trigger jumper, comfort operating on or off the ball, and ability to score in bunches from the bench. He plays with a shooter’s mentality, attacking closeouts and generating offense in transition. His deep three-point range and midrange pull-up have made him a reliable closer for second units throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Clarkson’s signature milestones include forming the first Asian-American starting backcourt in NBA history on March 24, 2015, winning the 2021 Sixth Man of the Year award, and helping the Knicks capture the 2025 NBA Cup. He is also the first player of Filipino descent to win an NBA championship and has represented the Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games and the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Jordan Clarkson Career Wins
Clarkson’s most significant team accomplishment came in 2025, when he helped the New York Knicks win the NBA Cup and later the NBA championship. Earlier in his career, he reached the 2018 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he captured conference awards at Tulsa and Missouri during his college years. He has also represented the Philippines in major FIBA competitions, including the 2018 Asian Games and the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
NBA Highlights
Clarkson’s top NBA milestones include his 2020–21 Sixth Man of the Year season, a career-high 45-point game against Sacramento in March 2022, and his 2024 triple-double against Dallas. He added the 2025 NBA Cup and the 2026 NBA championship to his resume with the Knicks, capping a long run as one of the league’s most productive reserves.
International Highlights
Clarkson has been a central figure for the Philippine national team, debuting at the 2018 Asian Games with a 28-point performance against China. He later averaged 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists across five games at the 2023 FIBA World Cup as the team’s naturalized player, reinforcing his status as a national icon in the Philippines.
Jordan Clarkson Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Clarkson is the son of Mike Clarkson and Annette Tullao Davis, both of whom served in the United States Air Force. His Filipino heritage traces back to his maternal grandmother, Marcelina Tullao Kingsolver, who was from Bacolor, Pampanga, in the Philippines. That ancestry has shaped his identity and his deep connection with Filipino fans around the world.
Personal Life
Clarkson is in a relationship and has a daughter. He was previously in a relationship with American singer-songwriter Maggie Lindemann. He makes his home in San Antonio, Texas, the city where he attended high school and first gained statewide recognition as a basketball prospect.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year marked a turning point in Clarkson’s career. After splitting time with the Jazz early in the year and being ruled out in late March following a procedure for plantar fasciitis in his left foot, he reached a buyout agreement with Utah on June 30, 2025. Days later, he signed with the New York Knicks on a minimum contract, joining a roster built to contend in the Eastern Conference.
Clarkson delivered steady bench scoring throughout the regular season and grew into a trusted option for the Knicks in the playoffs. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, he helped New York close out the San Antonio Spurs with a 94–90 win, completing a 4–1 series victory. The title was the first NBA championship of his career and the franchise’s first in more than five decades.
Beyond his on-court production, Clarkson’s 2025 story carried historic weight. His NBA Cup ring and Finals triumph made him the first player of Filipino descent to win an NBA championship. Heading into the next chapter, his role with the Knicks and his continued presence on the Philippine national team ensure that his influence on the game will remain strong.
