Fil-Am guard Jordan Clarkson nicknamed 'Pacquiao' by Lakers teammate

Lakers point guard Jordan Clarkson has worn his Filipino heritage on his sleeve since he debuted in the NBA. It comes as no surprise, then, that a teammate christens him with an apt nickname: Pacquiao.

 

The Fil-Am basketball player revealed the tidbit in an interview with Positively Filipino before his career-high 22-point performance against Utah Jazz, sharing Robert Sacre's antics to rib him about his background.

 

"He kind of makes fun of me. He says, 'Want some lumpia, want some lumpia.' Sometimes, he calls me Pacquiao,” Clarkson said about the Lakers center.

 

The 22-year-old does not mind getting nicknamed from the Filipino ring icon, but he said his favorite boxer is the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. who will be facing Pacman on May 2.

 

"They're both great fighters," he said.

 

Clarkson was born of a Filipina mother named Annette Davis, who hails from Angeles, Pampanga. She raised him together with his maternal grandmother after she divorced American husband Mike Clarkson.

 

“I’ve really grown aware of my Filipino heritage since I came out here. I do my best to represent Filipinos well. They’re always on my mind," Clarkson said. —Marisse Panaligan/JST, GMA News