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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider First Filipino NBA champion: It's Harper vs Clarkson in Finals

First Filipino NBA champion: It's Harper vs Clarkson in Finals

Published May 31, 2026 03:31 pm

At A Glance

  • One Filipino is surely raising the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time ever at the end of the NBA Finals regardless of who wins it between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks.

One Filipino is surely raising the Larry O’Brien trophy for the first time ever at the end of the NBA Finals regardless of who wins it between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks.

The only question is who it will be between Dylan Harper of the Spurs and Jordan Clarkson of the Knicks — two Filipino-American players who are vocal and proud of their Filipino heritage ever since making it to the big league.

Harper, the second overall pick of the 2025 draft, has emerged as one of the Spurs' key players alongside Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.

His mother Maria Pizarro came from Bataan. Pizarro was even in the venue to congratulate her son after the Spurs took down defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7, 111-103.

Of course, taking on fellow Filipino-American Clarkson is one of the things that excites Harper ahead of their best-of-seven affair.

"I think my focus is on these next games, this next series. Obviously, it’s a blessing to represent the Philippines, where I’m from," Harper told reporters.

"I think me and Jordan Clarkson are doing a great job doing that. My biggest thing is to focus on what's in front of me,” he added.

Clarkson traces his Filipino roots through Annette Tullao whose mother Marcelina was born and raised in Bacolor, Pampanga. He had also represented Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA-sanctioned tournaments

The 33-year-old guard was also the first Filipino to ever reach the NBA Finals – first achieving the feat in the 2018 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Playing already for 12 seasons in the NBA, even bagging a Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2020-2021 season, Clarkson has provided the Knicks a veteran presence in the locker room and a potent scoring option off the bench.

He plays as backup for Knick stars Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, averaging 8.6 points in just 17.8 minutes per game — the lowest ever in his 12 years in the league.

Still, with New York marching to the Finals for the first time since 1999, the presence of a veteran like Clarkson who had already played in the grand stage, should come valuable for the Knicks

Related Tags

Dylan Harper Jordan Clarkson NBA NBA Finals San Antonio Spurs New York Knicks
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