Fil-Am NBA players Jalen Green and Jordan Clarkson share history and a hug on Filipino Heritage Night

Michelle De Pacina
·2 min read
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The Utah Jazz hosted a Filipino Heritage Night on Jan. 19 to celebrate Filipino culture in honor of the second time in NBA history that two Filipino American players, Jalen Green and Jordan Clarkson, would share the court.

The event “Filipino Night: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition,” which took place at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, included commemorative T-shirts and in-game activities to honor the occasion.

The Houston Rockets previously hosted Filipino Night at the Toyota Center in October last year, according to Deseret News, in celebration of the first time Green and Clarkson made history as the first players of Filipino descent to play on the same court.




Clarkson of the Utah Jazz was seen celebrating with Filipino fans before talking and sharing a hug with Green of the Houston Rockets.

 




“Just us two being here is super inspirational for the youth and every Filipino-American, every Filipino, anybody with Filipino blood,” Clarkson previously stated after Utah’s victory over Houston in October last year, according to NBA. “I feel like it’s just an amazing experience, something that can’t be done again because (it was) the first. Hopefully we see more.”




According to the NBA, the Jazz players also purchased and donated game tickets to local organizations, including the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Utah and the Pilipino American Association of Utah.

The Houston Rockets ultimately won the game 116-111, with Green finishing with seven points and five rebounds in the team’s second consecutive win. Clarkson, on the other hand, finished with 19 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Featured Images via @NBA (left, right)

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