theathleticuk
NEW YORK — Jordan Clarkson's individuality is evident in the double-zero jersey he wears, a number sported by only 75 players in NBA history. But the story behind his choice reveals even more about his character. When he joined the Utah Jazz, Clarkson struggled to pick a number and settled on 00 because Greg Ostertag was the only Jazz player he remembered who wasn't retired. He kept it when he moved to New York.
Clarkson and Ostertag, a burly 7-footer, couldn't be more different, but comparing anyone to Clarkson is difficult. He entered the NBA without tattoos and later covered his body in them. He is considered one of the league's best-dressed players, wearing one-of-one designer pieces to a game in Milwaukee in mid-December. His parents, one African American and one Filipina, met in the Air Force. And after years of scoring in bunches off the bench, he has reinvented himself as a gritty competitor in his mid-30s.
In New York, Clarkson embodies the emergency button for head coach Mike Brown. Need a jolt of energy? Need someone to create something from nothing? Brown dials up 1-800-Jordan-Clarkson. Brown used those minutes on Monday night when the Knicks struggled against the crosstown Brooklyn Nets. Clarkson sat for essentially three quarters, then scored seven points and blocked a shot in nine fourth-quarter minutes, closing the game and finishing with a plus-17 rating.
A week earlier in Chicago, with New York on the verge of losing to one of the NBA's worst teams, Clarkson played hero. After not playing in the previous game and logging just eight combined minutes in the two before that, he came off the bench to score 18 points, grab three rebounds and record two steals in 17 minutes, sparking a 19-point comeback victory.
Clarkson's role is as unique as he is. Brown maps out minutes and rotations for every game, but Clarkson isn't factored into that equation. "A lot of his minutes are based on the feel," Brown said. "What makes him so unique — and obviously, I've been part of teams that have those types of players, and those teams usually have success. You have a veteran who has been there and done that, and he's willing to accept a role that most guys wouldn't accept, even guys who are younger and haven't proven as much as he's proven in this league. He's the ultimate team player. I've been around some good teammates when it comes to players. He's got to be the best. He's the definition of ultimate pro."
The reinvention of Clarkson is one of the NBA's coolest under-the-radar stories. For the first 11 years of his career, the 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year was known strictly for his scoring. He started only four games between 2018 and 2022 but averaged more than 14 shots per game in three of those four seasons. He is a professional scorer. Yet since joining the Knicks last season, Clarkson has evolved into a player who would make Ostertag proud. He routinely grabs back-breaking offensive rebounds, sneaks up on ball handlers and jumps passing lanes for steals.
Coincidentally, this new version emerged last season in Utah. Clarkson had been out of the rotation before that game against the Jazz. With New York on the cusp of losing to one of the league's worst teams, Brown threw him in. Clarkson responded with 27 points and five offensive rebounds in 26 minutes. The baskets were impressive, but his willingness to do the dirty work caught everyone's attention, including his head coach. Since that night in Salt Lake City, Clarkson has continued to do the little things, even without consistent minutes.
"It shows his character, more than anything else," Josh Hart said of Clarkson, who re-signed with New York this summer on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal. "If he were on a different team, he could play 20, 25 minutes every night. He could score double digits. He could be that microwave off the bench. He's here, though, and willing to sacrifice. He's willing to take a smaller role to be part of something bigger than himself. It shows his character and professionalism to be able to go out there and do those things. When he's not on the court, he's coaching guys up, talking to them and letting them know what he sees. He's someone you want on your team."
Landry Shamet didn't know Clarkson well before they became teammates last season, but he thought Clarkson had it out for him in the past. "When I was younger, my only thought of him was that he was really hard to guard and it felt like he always went at me," Shamet said. "I used to hate it. He'd score and talk a little s---." Shamet's earliest memories of Clarkson were just like everyone else's — a scorer by day and night. Get to know Clarkson, though, and the transformation won't surprise you. "Knowing him now, knowing who he is, it's not crazy," Shamet continued. "The guy just wants to win. He wants to do whatever he can for this group, his teammates. He'll play a stint out there for two minutes and get subbed out. A lot of guys in the NBA, the reality is, if they get subbed, they're pissed. The whole thing. He never has any of those moments."
Clarkson is one-of-one, and the Knicks need something different as they continue to wake up from their champagne-induced slumber and search for an even brighter tomorrow. Energy? A couple of buckets? Rebounds? A talking to? Clarkson provides it all. Call 1-800-Jordan-Clarkson for all of your basketball needs.
Originally reported by theathleticuk.