GILAS PILIPINAS : NIKE LAUNCHES NEW KITS FOR THE FIBA OQT

Sportswear global giant Nike launched the new kits that will be used by our very own Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament here in Manila on July.

In an event in the newly opened Shangri-La Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, the launch started with a brief chat with Fil-Am NBA player Jordan Clarkson. Unfortunately, he will not be joining the squad in the OQT since FIBA has not yet given him the go signal due to his eligibility.

Most of the players in the current pool was there during the launch - LA Tenorio, Mo Tautua, Ranidel de Ocampo, Ray Ray Parks, Marc Pingris, June Mar Fajardo, Terrence Romeo and naturalized center Andray Blatche, who just arrived in Manila early Saturday morning after 2 weeks of personal leave due to the surgery of his mother.

The new kits were paraded by 5 other players in the Gilas 4.0 pool - Jeff Chan, Jayson Castro, Gabe Norwood, Calvin Abueva and Japeth Aguilar. You can see them in the photo below from the Sports5 Twitter :

LOOK | New Gilas Pilipinas uniform unveiled https://t.co/I5253qiLAb pic.twitter.com/XunfKhacSw

— Sports5 (@Sports5PH) May 28, 2016

Here is the video of the launch from Sports5 Facebook page :

GILAS PILIPINAS : 2015 JONES CUP SCHEDULE

Gilas Pilipinas is currently in Taiwan for the 2015 Jones Cup, after 2 year of absence in the tournament. This will serve as part of their preparation for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship that will take place late September in China.

The team will be missing the services of naturalized player Andray Blatche, who returned to the US to attend to his uncle's funeral and visit his sick mother. On the other hand, this will be the return of Marc Pingris to the team. Jordan Clarkson is also expected to watch the games, hopefully in preparation of him joining the team.

Here is the game schedule as posted in the Twitter account of Sports 5 :

Gilas Pilipinas' complete TV5 schedule for the 2015 Jones Cup campaign! Gilas fever is on! #LabanPilipinas #PUSO pic.twitter.com/eb0t2t8clg

— Sports5 (@Sports5PH) August 27, 2015

GILAS PILIPINAS : JORDAN CLARKSON IS INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL ROSTER FOR FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONSHIP

Jordan Clarkson is indeed included in the initial 24 man roster of Gilas Pilipinas for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship to be help in China next month.

Sports analyst Quinito Henson posted this picture of the initial line up document submitted by Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) to the tournament organizers in his Instagram account :

Official 24-man Philippine basketball team lineup submitted by SBP exec director Sonny Barrios to FIBA Asia last Aug. 20, only players from this lineup may be picked for the final 12-man roster to be submitted by Sept. 8 for the FIBA Asia Championships in Changsha on Sept. 23-Oct. 3 ... the players in the "just-in-case" 24-man list are Andray Blatche, Jimmy Alapag, Gabe Norwood, Sonny Thoss, Calvin Abueva, J. C. Intal, Aldrech Ramos, Marc Pingris, Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario, Matt Ganuelas, Dondon Hontiveros, Gary David, Ranidel de Ocampo, Moala Tautuaa, Asi Taulava, Terrence Romeo, JuneMar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Paul Lee, Kiefer Ravena, Jordan Clarkson, L.A. Tenorio and Bobby Ray Parks ... all players are Philippine passport holders including Clarkson @draylive @jalapag3 @gnorwood5 @sonny_thoss @8calvinabueva @jcintal7 @aldrech17ramos @jeanmarc15 @jaywill_17 @real_mateo @dhonts7 @gry_dvd20 @teamrdo @agelessasi88 @tbvr07 @saginghilaw15 @ladylassiter13 @lethalweapon03 @kieferravena15 @la_tenorio @ray15parks #LabanPilipinasPuso

A photo posted by Joaquin Henson (@therealdeanquinito) on Aug 24, 2015 at 5:42pm PDT

The line up also includes current Gilas 3.0 recruits Sonny Thoss, Calvin Abueva, JC Intal, Aldrech Ramos, Matt Ganuelas, Marcio Lassiter and Terence Romeo; newly drafted Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario; returning veterans Dondon Hontiveros and Asi Taulava, Gilas 2.0 veterans Jimmy Alapag, Marc Pingris, Jayson Castro, Gary David, Ranidel de Ocampo, June Mar Fajardo, Paul Lee and LA Tenorio, amateur standouts Kiefer Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks and naturalized player Andray Blatche,

Fajardo, Tenorio, Lassiter and Lee has not attended any of the practices of Gilas yet and Pingris is expected to return to practice on Wednesday. Surprise names that were included are Ravena and Parks since they were not previously named as part of the pool.

This will give a boost to the Philippines' chances for the championship and eventually, a ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is still awaiting FIBA's decision on his eligibility.

On the other hand, ABS-CBN was able to get in touch with representatives from the Los Angeles Lakers, Clakson's current club in the NBA. In their article (you read it in full here), it was revealed that the team is aware of this development but cannot give out anymore information on the matter.

Let us all hope that FIBA will confirm Clarkson's eligibility and LA Lakers will allow him to play.

GILAS PILIPINAS : WILL FIBA ALLOW JORDAN CLARKSON TO SUIT UP FOR THE PHILIPPINES?

After a series of players begging off the roster, late preparations and losing all games in a pocket tournament, Gilas Pilipinas finally get some good news - a very good news at that.

Fil-Am player Jordan Clarkson, who is currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA, might be qualified to play as a natural born Filipino after all. According to the SBP, Clarkson got his Filipino passport at the age of 12, way ahead of the 16 year old maximum limit set by the current FIBA rules.

According to the SBP, the passports with other documents has been submitted to FIBA. Clarkson, who is set to arrive in Manila tonight for a endorsement contract signing, will be bringing along supplementary documents that FIBA requested for his accreditation.

This is a welcome positive development to the team, who is currently rebuilding with the best talent available and any talented player of Clarkson's caliber will definitely help the team. Clarkson is also expected to observe the Gilas practice and their participation in the William Jones Cup next month in Taipei.

With Clarkson's addition, Gilas will boast of 2 NBA caliber players - Andray Blatche, who is our current naturalized player, and him. The other Gilas players will also benefit a lot from this experience, having trained and played with a current NBA player.

It is very refreshing to see that Fil-Am players are considering to come back here and represent the country. I really hope that this gesture by Clarkson will influence other talented Fil-foreign kids will also consider getting their Philippine passports before the limit set by FIBA so they can also come back and help Gilas in the future.

Right now, it is in the hands of FIBA to decide if Clarkson is eligible or not. Let us also hope that the Lakers will allow him to play as well.

Image is from the ESPN website.

FIL-AM JORDAN CLARKSON DUNKS OVER A LUCKY KID IN TAGUIG

Filipino - American Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA is in town for the launch of NBA Philippines and for the NBA Cares charity event. It is his first time to be in her mother's home country. In a surprise visit to a shelter in Taguig City, this video was captured as he dunks over a kid.

This. Just. Happened. @jclark5on dunking on a lucky kid! #tenement @pinoyhoops @iammikeswift @jinoboy5 thanks #Nike! pic.twitter.com/zYFJMcJynR

— TJ Manotoc (@tjmanotoc) May 23, 2015

This is one lucky kid!

Video is from TJ Manotoc's twitter account