NBA superstars Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson are all set to face each other on day-1 of the FIBA World Cup 2023. Towns and the Dominican Republic will face the host Philippines in the Group A encounter. The other two teams in the group are Angola and Italy. A win today would give both teams a major boost at reaching the Quarter Finals of the tournament. And Towns and Clarkson play a very crucial role in their respective team’s aspirations for the World Cup.

KAT and Clarkson have gone against each other multiple times in the NBA. However, this is the first time the two would face off on the International stage. While the Dominican Republic is a powerful side, it might not be easy to play against the Philippines with their incredible home support.

Karl-Anthony Towns suits up after a decade

Karl-Anthony Towns missed the best part of the 2022-23 NBA season because of a right calf injury. He only played 23 games in the regular season as he was sidelined. He came back in time for the Playoffs. But the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets, eliminated Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. However, Towns had some impressive performances in the series.

After the season was over, the three-time NBA All-Star hinted at the possibility of suiting for his nation in the FIBA World Cup 2023. Over the years KAT has played in some major tournaments for the Dominican Republic. However, he has not played for the team since 2013 interestingly. He last played in the FIBA Americas Championship for Men in 2013 as per FIBA.

So when Towns revealed his plans to represent his country once again, the fans were excited. This was huge news for the fans of the national team, as the power forward could massively improve the team’s chances of success in the tournament.

It will be interesting to see how the Philippines plan to stop Towns given his skill set as a modern big man.

NBA star Jordan Clarkson’s long wait?

On the contrary of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jordan Clarkson enjoyed one of his best campaigns in the league last season. Many expected the Utah Jazz to dwindle after they traded away superstar Donovan Mitchell. However, the Jazz surprised a lot of people with their impressive performances and Clarkson played a huge role in it. Also, they were very close to landing a place in the play-in tournament as well.

Clarkson’s mother is a Filipina-American. The point guard initially revealed his intention to represent the Philippines in 2011. However, he did not meet FIBA eligibility at the time. The 2021 Sixth Man of the Year visited the country multiple times to resolve the eligibility issues. In 2016, he almost made it to the Rio Olympics. But unfortunately missed out.

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Finally, Clarkson made his debut for the country this year and has averaged 25 points in 2 games as per FIBA. According to ESPN, he averaged a career-best 20.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 4 rebounds per game last season in the NBA. The Philippines fans will be hoping for him to continue his good run in the World Cup as well. But can he channel his ?Mamba Mentality??

With Towns returning after a decade and as Clarkson’s wait is finally over, the game between the Dominican Republic and the Philippines should be entertaining.

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