Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Photo by NATHANIEL S. BUTLER / NBAE / GETTY IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
Doha: Jordan Clarkson made history as the first Filipino-American player to win an NBA championship after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The Knicks secured their first NBA title in 53 years, since 1973, thanks largely to a stellar 45-point performance from Finals MVP Jalen Brunson.
Clarkson, whose mother Annette Tullao Davis was born and raised in Angeles City, Pampanga, earned the first championship ring of his 12 year NBA career.
The 34-year-old guard previously reached the NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018 and was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Utah Jazz in 2021.
The championship run also featured another player of Filipino heritage, Spurs rookie Dylan Harper. The No 2 player, whose mother Maria Pizarro is from Bataan, scored 25 points, five rebounds and had four assists in Game 5.
Despite Harper's efforts, San Antonio was unable to overcome Knicks MVP Brunson's dominant display as New York clinched the title.
