Jalen Green’s decision to skip out on collegiate basketball and join the G League drew a mixed bag of reactions.
But if you asked fellow Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson, Green joining the NBA’s minor league was a monumental move.
Game Changer! https://t.co/rnYptXIHOy
— Jordan Clarkson (@JordanClarksons) April 16, 2020
Last Friday, Green became the first high school prospect to enter the G League’s Elite program.
In the program, the top high school basketball prospect in the ESPN 100 will be given a contract that is reportedly worth USD 500,000. He will also be under the tutelage of NBA veterans, attend academic classes, and receive a shoe deal.
After the program, Green will be eligible to enter the 2021 NBA Draft.
This is unlike Clarkson’s path to the NBA.
Clarkson spent four years in college, playing for University of Tulsa from 2010-12 before transferring to University of Missouri. The 6-foot-4 guard ended up as the 46th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Since then, Clarkson has played for the LA Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and his current squad Utah Jazz.
Clarkson has said numerous times that he has been keeping tabs on Green’s development, hoping to share the court with him one day.
“I look forward to watching him grow as a player and hopefully maybe step in the NBA court, make a name for himself,” Clarkson told ABS-CBN reporter TJ Manotoc a year ago.
