What it means to become a sports icon in the Philippines The story of Jordan Clarkson and the new Utah Jazz fanbase in the country

Jordan Clarkson is one of the biggest revelations of this NBA season and is one of the main exponents of the new wave of talents linked to the fashion world along with Shai, Tatum and Kuzma. The combo guard of the Utah Jazz is experiencing the best season of his career and, in addition to being among the candidates for the title of 6th man of the year thanks to an average of more than 17 points per game off the bench, he is a serious candidate for the MFP award: Most Fashionable Player.

The aesthetic evolution of Jordan Clarkson - who since 2018 has decided to transform his body into a perfect drawing board for Steve Levy's creations - has allowed him to become a style icon, emerging on and off the court. Symbol of a new hype and a fashion that is no longer controlled by brandi alone but also by prominent personalities who influence the trends.

But there is an episode that best of all sums up the power of the Filipino basketball community and in particular linked to its hero. During the time of the Orlando bubble, the NBA gave players the ability to insert a social message in the language of their choice instead of their name. In addition to the English version, messages in Slovenian, Italian, French, Bosnian, Portuguese, Latvian and even Creole were chosen. When Jordan Clarkson decided to insert "Peace" and not "Kapayapaan" (peace in Filipino), chaos reigned in the Philippines. It became such a trending topic and so "hot" that Clarkson Sr. had to clarify the matter on Instagram, stating that "Jordan continues to represent his Filipino roots with pride". To calm the waters, some Manila entrepreneurs have decided to produce a Jazz bootleg jersey with the word "Kapayapaan" on the back. Among the buyers, of course, Paolo Del Rosario - who is no longer just cheering on Jazz.