Lakers Offseason: Jordan Clarkson Talks Free Agency, Steph Curry and Six Flags
By Eric Yee
Taken in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t have asked for a better player than rising star, Jordan Clarkson
Lakers’ third year guard, Jordan Clarkson may be overseas for basketball reasons but he is well aware of his status as a restricted free agent this summer.
In Manila from May 26 to May 30 for a Nike basketball clinic then in Beijing for a week on behalf of NBA Cares, Clarkson, however, is not letting anything get in the way of what Michael Pina of Bleacher Report likes to call his “philanthropic travels.”
In Pina’s recent piece for BR, Clarkson stayed true to his word revealing that LA is indeed where he wants to be, but it was also the first time that JC mentioned the possibility of him playing elsewhere.
That said, his comments on his current situation only act to add support to his statement that at the end of the day “Basketball is the number one thing in [his] life … Everything else comes after.”
"So, I want to be here in L.A. …This is the place where I want to call home, so I’m just in the gym and working. That’s all I can control—myself getting better. If I end up somewhere else or I stay in L.A., that’s what I’d love to do."
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Aside from his charitable projects, Clarkson not only dished on what he intends to improve this offseason, his three point percentage and defensively, he also revealed the fact that he wouldn’t mind coming off the bench “so long as his minutes don’t dwindle.”
He also went on to talk about how adding more pieces to the mix could definitely help their effectiveness on the defensive end.
"Steph [Curry] is not the greatest defender in the world. But if we find the right pieces to put together with us, I think it will help us a lot. At the same time, I feel like we can grow in that area, for sure."
Reading the entire article, it’s easy to see that Clarkson hasn’t let the NBA lifestyle go to his head and that’s great news for the Lakers.
From his childish love of Six Flags: Magic Mountain, where he waits in line like a “regular” person, to his various Snapchat stories, Clarkson is a testament to the fact that professional athletes are still just people like the rest of us.
Before courting big name free agents, the Lakers are likely to make a decision on Clarkson’s future, rather than stringing him along like they did with Jordan Farmar only to lose him to the rival Los Angeles Clippers, so whatever LA decides to do, expect the decision to be swift.
Next: Could the Lakers Steal Hassan Whiteside from Miami?
You can read the full article here in order to get the full insight on a day in the life of Jordan Clarkson.