Jordan Clarkson Bio
Jordan Taylor Clarkson (born June 7, 1992) is an American and Filipino professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing around 194 pounds, he plays as a guard and is widely respected for his scoring ability off the bench. Clarkson has dual citizenship with the United States and the Philippines through ancestral descent and has represented the Philippine national team in international competition.
Across an NBA career that began in 2014, Clarkson has suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Utah Jazz before joining the New York Knicks. His resume includes the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, a place on the 2015 NBA All-Rookie First Team, and an NBA Cup championship in 2025. He is also remembered for forming, with Jeremy Lin, the first Asian-American starting backcourt in NBA history.
Early Life and Background
Jordan Taylor Clarkson was born in Tampa, Florida, to Mike Clarkson, an African-American, and Annette Tullao Davis, a Filipina American. His maternal grandmother, Marcelina Tullao Kingsolver, was from Bacolor, Pampanga, in the Philippines. Both of his parents served in the United States Air Force, and the couple divorced when Jordan was young. His father later remarried Janie Clarkson. Around the age of six, Clarkson moved with his family to San Antonio, Texas, where he spent most of his childhood.
He attended Karen J. Wagner High School in San Antonio, where he developed into a high-level prospect. As a sophomore he averaged 10 points per game and earned honorable mention all-district honors. His junior year brought averages of 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, and his team posted a 32-8 record and reached the Class 5A state semi-finals. As a senior, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals, leading the squad to a 38-2 record and a state championship semi-final loss, and he was named San Antonio High School Player of the Year.
On November 11, 2009, Clarkson signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball at the University of Tulsa. His combination of scoring touch and playmaking vision made him one of the more intriguing guard prospects in Texas.
Path to Basketball
Clarkson enrolled at the University of Tulsa, where he played two seasons for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. In his freshman year he was named to the 2011 Conference USA All-Freshman team after earning Conference USA Freshman of the Week honors four times, averaging 11.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists across 27 games. In his sophomore season he became a starter and was named to the All-Conference USA First Team and the NABC All-District 11 Team, raising his averages to 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
In May 2012, Clarkson transferred to the University of Missouri. He sat out the 2012-13 season under NCAA transfer rules, then returned for his redshirted junior year. Playing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), he earned second-team All-SEC honors, was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list in January 2014, and won three SEC Player of the Week awards, while averaging 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals across 35 starts. On March 31, 2014, he declared for the NBA draft, giving up his remaining college eligibility.
Jordan Clarkson Career
Los Angeles Lakers (2014-2018)
On June 26, 2014, Jordan Taylor Clarkson was selected 46th overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards and was traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Lakers for cash considerations. After brief assignments to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, he cracked the Lakers rotation and ultimately started 38 games, averaging 15.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds as a starter. On March 24, 2015, he scored a season-high 30 points with seven assists in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and that night he and Jeremy Lin became the first Asian-American starting backcourt in NBA history. Clarkson was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, one of only five second-round picks to earn the honor in 30 years.
On July 7, 2016, Clarkson re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $50 million contract and settled into a sixth-man role. He scored 25 points off the bench in the 2016-17 opener against the Houston Rockets, set a career high with five steals on November 15, 2016 against the Brooklyn Nets, tied his career high with 30 points off the bench against the Philadelphia 76ers, and exploded for 35 points and eight three-pointers in a 130-119 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 24, 2017. His stint in Los Angeles also earned him a large following in the Philippines because of his Filipino heritage.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2018-2019)
On February 8, 2018, Clarkson was traded, along with Larry Nance Jr., to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a 2018 first-round draft pick. He debuted three days later with 17 points in a 121-99 win over the Boston Celtics and helped Cleveland reach the 2018 NBA Finals, where the Cavaliers were swept in four games by the Golden State Warriors. On February 13, 2019, he erupted for a then career-high 42 points in a 148-139 triple-overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
Utah Jazz (2019-2025)
On December 24, 2019, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Jordan Taylor Clarkson to the Utah Jazz for Dante Exum and two future second-round picks. He quickly became a central figure in Utah’s offense, scoring a season-high 37 points against the Denver Nuggets on January 30, 2020, and re-signing with the Jazz on November 21, 2020, on a four-year, $52 million contract. In 2020-21 he averaged a career-best 18.4 points per game, led the NBA with 203 three-pointers off the bench, and won the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, becoming the first Utah player to receive the honor.
He continued to produce big scoring nights in Utah, including a then career-high 40 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 15, 2021, a 39-point, eight-rebound effort in an overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans on December 15, 2022, and a new career high of 45 points on 15-of-21 shooting in a 134-125 win over the Sacramento Kings on March 12, 2022. On January 1, 2024, he recorded his first career triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 127-90 win over the Dallas Mavericks, the first regular-season triple-double by a Jazz player since Carlos Boozer in 2008 and the end of the longest regular-season triple-double drought by any NBA team. On July 7, 2023, he signed a contract extension with the Jazz, but injuries limited him in 2024-25 to 37 appearances with averages of 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, and a plantar fasciitis procedure ended his season on March 27, 2025. He reached a buyout agreement with the Jazz on June 30, 2025.
New York Knicks (2025-Present)
On July 7, 2025, Jordan Taylor Clarkson signed with the New York Knicks, completing his move from the Utah Jazz. He joined a contending roster expected to lean on his scoring and shot creation off the bench.
Driving Style and Strengths
Jordan Taylor Clarkson is known as a dynamic shot creator who thrives in transition and in mid-range pull-up situations. He combines a smooth shooting stroke with a strong handle, allowing him to generate offense both in pick-and-roll sets and in isolation, and he has long been one of the league’s most productive bench scorers.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Clarkson formed the first Asian-American starting backcourt with Jeremy Lin in 2015, became the first Utah Jazz player to win NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2021, posted a 45-point career high against the Sacramento Kings in 2022, and recorded the Jazz’s first regular-season triple-double since 2008 in January 2024. He also helped the New York Knicks capture the NBA Cup in 2025.
Jordan Clarkson Career Wins
Jordan Taylor Clarkson has built his career as a high-volume scorer and Sixth Man of the Year rather than a traditional win-counter, and his most celebrated team victory came with the 2025 NBA Cup. He helped the Cleveland Cavaliers reach the 2018 NBA Finals and won the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year as a member of the Utah Jazz.
NBA Highlights
In the NBA, Clarkson was named to the 2015 NBA All-Rookie First Team and earned 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors, becoming the first player in Utah Jazz history to win the award. He also reached the 2018 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and won the NBA Cup with the New York Knicks in 2025. His career high of 45 points came on March 12, 2022, in a 134-125 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Jordan Clarkson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jordan Taylor Clarkson is the son of Mike Clarkson, an African-American, and Annette Tullao Davis, a Filipina American. Both parents served in the United States Air Force, and his mother’s mother, Marcelina Tullao Kingsolver, was originally from Bacolor, Pampanga, in the Philippines. His parents divorced when he was young, and his father later remarried Janie Clarkson. The family moved to San Antonio, Texas, when Jordan was about six, and that is where he grew up and developed as a basketball player.
Personal Life
Jordan Taylor Clarkson holds dual citizenship with the United States and the Philippines, the latter through his maternal Filipino ancestry. He has been in a relationship with American singer-songwriter Maggie Lindemann. He has a daughter, and the family resides in San Antonio, Texas.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024-25 season marked the end of Clarkson’s long run in Utah. Limited by injuries, he appeared in 37 games with nine starts and averaged 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists before a medical procedure for plantar fasciitis in his left foot ended his year on March 27, 2025. The Jazz did not qualify for the postseason, and on June 30, 2025, the team reached a buyout agreement with Clarkson, freeing him to sign with a contender.
On July 7, 2025, Jordan Taylor Clarkson signed with the New York Knicks, joining a team built to compete deep into the spring. With the Knicks he won the 2025 NBA Cup, adding a team championship to his list of career accomplishments.