Filipino NBA Players You Need to Know

The Philippines has produced some of the best basketball players in the world. Here are five Filipino NBA players you need to know.

Filipino NBA players – a brief history

Basketball is a popular sport in the Philippines, and the country has produced several players who have gone on to have successful careers in the NBA. The first Filipino player to make it to the NBA was Raymond Townsend, who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1977. Since then, a number of other Filipino players have followed in his footsteps, including naturalized players like Kobe Bryant and Eric Menk.

Here are some of the most notable Filipino players in NBA history

· Raymond Townsend – drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1977, he played for three seasons in the NBA before retiring due to injuries.

· Bill Walton – one of the most successful players in NBA history he played for several teams during his Hall of Fame career, including the Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics He is now a television commentator.

· Kobe Bryant – one of the greatest players of all time, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers for his entire 20-year career, winning five NBA championships He retired in 2016 after suffering a season-ending injury.

· naturalized players – These are players who were not born in the Philippines but have Philippine citizenship. Players like Kobe Bryant and Eric Menk fall into this category.

The current Filipino NBA players

There are currently three Filipino players in the NBA: Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks and Bobby Ray Parks Jr. of the G-League Ignite.

Jordan Clarkson was born in Taipei to a Filipino mother and an African-American father. He attended High School in San Antonio Texas and then played college basketball for Tulsa before being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014. Clarkson was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018 and then to the Jazz in 2020.

Brooklyn Lopez is of mixed Filipino and Spanish descent. He was born in North Hollywood, California and attended Stanford University where he played college basketball He was drafted by the Nets with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and has also played for the Milwaukee Bucks

Bobby Ray Parks Jr. was born in Nashville, Tennessee to Filipino parents. He played College Basketball for one season at Texas A&M before declaring for the NBA G-League draft, where he was selected by the Ignite with the third overall pick.

The most successful Filipino NBA players

With the Philippines being home to a large number of basketball fans it’s no surprise that there have been a number of Filipino players who have made it to the NBA. Although there haven’t been too many players of Filipino descent who have made a real impact in the league, there are a few names that stand out. Here are some of the most successful Filipino NBA players you need to know.

Rafer Alston: One of the most successful Filipino players in the NBA, Alston spent 12 seasons in the league and was a two-time All-Star. He played for several teams, including the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic and was part of the Magic team that reached the NBA Finals in 2009.

Manny Harris: A journeyman player, Harris has bounced around different NBA teams throughout his career. He most recently played for the Los Angeles Clippers but has also had stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers

Jordan Clarkson: One of the younger players on this list, Clarkson is currently in his fifth season in the NBA and is playing for the Utah Jazz Clarkson was drafted by the Lakers in 2014 and spent four seasons with the team before being traded to Utah in 2018.

TJIIead RockerI Thomas: A role player for most of his career, Thomas has nonetheless had a long and successful NBA career. He’s played for 11 teams over his 20-year career and was part of the San Antonio Spurs team that won the NBA Championship in 2014.

The most popular Filipino NBA players

There are several Filipino NBA players who have become popular in recent years Here are some of the most well-known names:

-Kobe Paras: A former NCAA Division 1 player, Paras was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft He plays for the Lakers’ development team, the South Bay Lakers.

-Jordan Clarkson: Clarkson was drafted by the Washington Wizards in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft He was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where he has since become a key player. Clarkson is one of the few Filipino-American players in the NBA.

-Andray Blatche: Blatche is a former member of the Brooklyn Nets and currently plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. He is one of the most experienced Filipino players in the NBA, having played eight seasons in the league.

The youngest Filipino NBA players

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The Philippines has produced some of the youngest NBA players in recent years Here are some of the most promising up-and-comers:

Kobe Paras is a 6’6″ guard/forward who was born in 1998. He played College Basketball for the UCLA Bruins He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft but was later traded to the Chicago Bulls

Raymond Reyes is a 6’3″ guard who was born in 2001. He played high school basketball in Texas before committing to play for Pepperdine University. He has not yet been drafted by an NBA team

Joshua Munzon is a 6’4″ guard who was born in 1998. He played college basketball for Cal State Los Angeles and Seattle Pacific University He went undrafted in 2020 but signed with the Los Angeles Lakers shortly after.

The oldest Filipino NBA players

The oldest Filipino NBA players

--Rudy Fernandez (Portland Trail Blazers born 1983)
-Andray Blatche (Brooklyn Nets born 1984)
-Raymond Santos (Los Angeles Clippers born 1985)
-Jordan Clarkson (Los Angeles Lakers born 1992)

The tallest Filipino NBA players

There are currently four Filipino players in the NBA, and each of them has made an impact in the league. Here are the tallest Filipino NBA players

The shortest Filipino NBA players

There have only been four Filipino players in NBA history but each one of them has made an impact in the league despite their height. Here are the shortest Filipino players to ever play in the NBA.

– Raymond Robinson. Robinson was only 5’7” tall and played for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1975. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.6 assists per game in his brief NBA Career
– Rey Cuenco. Cuenco was a 6’0” guard who played two games for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1977. He didn’t score any points in his limited playing time
– Bong Alvarez. Alvarez was 6’1” and played parts of two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1989 and 1990. In 28 career games, he averaged 2.9 points and 1.0 assists per game
– Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson is currently the only Filipino player in the NBA, and he is also the tallest at 6’5”. He was drafted 46th overall by the Washington Wizards in 2014 and currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers In four seasons, he has averaged 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game

The heaviest Filipino NBA players

At 6’11” and 290 pounds, naturalized FilipinoAndray Blatche is one of the heaviest players in the NBA today He currently plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China but he is best known for his time with the Brooklyn Nets where he was an All-Star in 2012.

Another heavyweight Filipino player is Gabe Norwood, who tips the scales at 6’7” and 210 pounds. He plays for Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippines Basketball Association and has been a member of the Philippine national basketball team since 2006. In 2007, he helped lead the Philippines to a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games

Japeth Aguilar is another tall Filipino player at 6’9”, but he is on the lighter side at just 205 pounds. He plays for Ginebra San Miguel in the Nes Basketball Association and has been a member of the Philippine national Basketball team since 2009. In 2012, he won a gold medal with Team Philippines at the FIBA Asia Cup.

The lightest Filipino NBA players

When it comes to Filipino NBA players some people tend to think of them as being tall and bulky. However, there are actually a few Filipino NBA players who are on the lighter side. Here are some of the lightest Filipino NBA players that you should know about.

guard Gabe Norwood – He is 6’5” and 195 pounds.

shooting guard Jordan Clarkson – He is 6’4” and 193 pounds.

small forward Troy Daniels – He is 6’4” and 200 pounds.