After a day’s wait, the National Basketball Association this morning announced that it has granted a one-time exception to three players so they can represent their countries in the 18th Asian Games basketball competition starting tomorrow in Jakarta Indonesia.

Jordan Clarkson, the Cleveland Cavaliers guard tapped by the Philippines as a reinforcement, was among the players given by the NBA the green light to play.
But Clarkson will miss the Gilas Pilipinas game against Kazakhstan at 10 am tomorrow.

Chief of Mission Richard Gomez told Daily Tribune that Clarkson’s arrival in Jakarta, Indonesia is also at 10 a.m. of 16 August.

“That is a concern,” Gomez said. “We wanted JC to play against Kazakhstan.”
According to Gomez, the game against Kazakhstan is a “must win” or the Philippines will be out of contention for the podium if it loses to mighty China next.

“China is sending a very tall team,” Gonez said. “The Chinese are parading three seven-foot players.”

Clarkson is a Filipino-American. He expressed willingness to play for Gilas and was nearly barred by the National Basketball Association from joining Gilas.
It took the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas to make two appeals before Clarkson was given the green light to fly to Jakarta.

Also given NBA clearance were Houston Rockets Center Zhou Qi and Dallas Mavericks forward Ding Yanghuang. Both of them will play for China.