Jordan Clarkson is the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year

At the start of the 2020-2021 National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season, Jordan Clarkson set out a mission for himself: win the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the year award.

He accomplished it. And more.

The league announced that the Filipino-American player of the league-leading Utah Jazz won the award- beating his teammate, Joe Ingles, and Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks.

The 28-year old role player garnered 65 first-place votes and finished with 407 points in the voting that included 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Ingles had 34 first-place votes and finished with 272 points. Rose came in third with one first-place vote and 77 points overall.

Clarkson came off the bench in 68 of the 69 games that he played this season. He averaged 18 points (career-high), four rebounds, two assists in 26 minutes.

Clarkson and Ingles helped the Jazz finish the regular season with a 52-20 to secure the homecourt advantage in the playoffs.

In a short statement released to the public, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), through SBP President Al Panlilio, congratulated Clarkson for winning the said award.

"In his short but sweet stint with Gilas Pilipinas, Jordan Clarkson showed us not only his world-class talent but also gave us a glimpse of the hard work and dedication necessary to get to that level," the statement read.

Panlilio concluded, "Congratulations on winning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award, Jordan. The SBP and the entire Philippine basketball community is proud of you,"

Jordan Clarkson suited up for Gilas Pilipinas during the 2018 Asian Games, where the team finished fifth. While it wasn't a successful campaign, it showed what Gilas Pilipinas and Clarkson could do together in future tournaments.

Photo is from The Hive Sports