- NBA players Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets and Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz shared the court on Wednesday, marking the second time in NBA history that two athletes of Filipino descent played in the same game.
- Utah Jazz hosted a Filipino Night to celebrate Green and Clarkson’s heritage and to donate to local Filipino organizations.
- The Houston Rockets ultimately won the game by 116-111.
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.
Jalen Green and Jordan Clarkson become the first two players of Filipino descent to share the court in an NBA game! 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/waKSIfVwCA
— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2021
Clarkson of the Utah Jazz was seen celebrating with Filipino fans before talking and sharing a hug with Green of the Houston Rockets.
Jalen Green and Jordan Clarkson share the court and share a hug on Filipino Heritage Night in Utah 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/SuIGKPvNqb
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2022
“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.”
It’s Filipino Heritage Night in Utah 🇵🇭
Fans celebrate with Jordan Clarkson before the @utahjazz host the Rockets on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/xLcKAYaOVc
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2022
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.
