NBA rejects Clarkson appeal

MANILA, Philippines — US National Basketball Association deputy commissioner Mark Tatum yesterday slammed the door on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Fil-Am guard Jordan Clarkson’s participation in the coming Asian Games, citing an agreement with FIBA that prohibits NBA players from competing in non-FIBA sanctioned tournaments like the Asian Games which are supervised by the Olympic Council of Asia.

 Before NBA spokesman Tim Frank released an announcement denying Clarkson’s participation, Tatum spoke with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan and then with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano by phone to explain the league’s decision. 

SBP president Al Panlilio initiated the call between Tatum and Pangilinan who was in Bangkok, Thailand at 5 a.m. yesterday. Then Tatum reached out to Cayetano who had sent a letter of appeal to NBA commissioner Adam Silver “in behalf of more than 100 million basketball-loving Filipinos.”

 Panlilio said Tatum based the decision on “an existing historic agreement between the NBA and FIBA that prohibits NBA players to join non-accredited FIBA tournaments.” Tatum said novation of the agreement can only be done if a waiver is made by NBA team owners. “The NBA and FIBA are aligned in their respective positions regarding Clarkson,” said Panlilio.

 With Clarkson’s failure to secure NBA clearance, the question is whether the NBA will also bar Houston Rockets center Zhou Qi from playing in Indonesia. Qi is in China’s 12-man lineup for the Asian Games. The 7-1 center was in the Rockets playoff roster last season and his NBA contract is up to 2021.

 Another Chinese player Batere Mengke was found to have played in the 2002 Asian Games when he was still under contract in the NBA. It was also uncovered that several NBA players were cleared to see action in the Pan American Games, the Americas’ zone counterpart of the Asian Games. The Pan American Games, like the Asian Games, are held every four years and supervised by the region’s Olympic Council. Yet in 2015, Orlando Magic player Andrew Nicholson suited up for Canada at the Pan American Games in Toronto. NBA player J.J. Barea was also allowed to play for Puerto Rico at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. Panlilio said Qi’s inclusion in the China lineup is now “under investigation” by the NBA.

 POC secretary-general Patrick Gregorio said the denial took away a rare opportunity for the NBA to showcase a prime talent with Asian roots in Indonesia based on a rule that appears irrelevant within the context of basketball solidarity. “We tried our best,” said Gregorio. “Your Philippine sports leaders worked round the clock. So many sleepless nights. We were one clearance away from a dear friend of the Filipino people – the NBA, or so we thought. Unfortunately, our appeal fell on deaf ears. They applied a rule that will never be understood. The NBA broke the hearts of 100 million Filipinos. We will never forget this.”

 Gregorio said while the NBA’s rejection is a setback, he saw a silver lining. “I think MVP and Secretary Cayetano opened the eyes of the NBA to revisit this rule,” he said. “We respect the NBA’s decision and thank Mr. Tatum for listening to our appeal and taking time to speak with MVP and Secretary Cayetano. The Filipino people are grateful to MVP and Secretary Cayetano for their efforts. I’m just surprised by the NBA turning its back on the Philippines and downgrading the Asian Games when I thought Asia was supposed to be the NBA’s next frontier. Clearing Jordan to play actually means nothing to the NBA but it means the world to us.”

 Cayetano said the chance for Clarkson to play for the Philippines was timely because the NBA is not in season and he was accredited by the Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee. “Having Mr. Clarkson play for our country would be a blessing to us Filipinos,” he said. “I am 100 percent sure that the entire Filipino nation, including 3.9 million Filipino-Americans, supports the appeal to the NBA to clear Mr. Clarkson’s participation in the Asian Games. If he were allowed to play, Mr. Clarkson would be the flag-bearer for the Philippines in the opening parade on Aug. 18. His participation will truly be considered as a historic moment and a milestone by the 100 million Filipinos watching worldwide.”

 During a visit to Manila last May, Tatum commented that Clarkson would be a valuable asset to the Philippine team. “Jordan is an incredible athlete, an incredible NBA player and an incredible story of being Filipino-American and now watching him play for the Cavs,” Tatum said. “He’s super-talented and I think the Philippine national team has been performing well in Asia but they can certainly use a player like Jordan.” Ironically,the NBA stepped in to prevent Clarkson from playing for the Philippines in the Asian Games.