As he readily awaits a reunion, New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson conceded uncertainty on what to expect when he faces the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. That marks the first time Clarkson will face his former team in Utah since both parties negotiated a buyout last summer.

Will the Jazz honor Clarkson with a tribute video after helping them to three playoff appearances (2019-22) and a Sixth Man of the Year award (2021)?

“We’ll see, man,” Clarkson told reporters. “I was there a long time. I might’ve done some things there. Who knows.”

How will Clarkson feel about facing a former team that also experienced playoff heartache (two first-round exits), three rebuilding years, and fluid roles?

“I don’t know what my emotions are going to be,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to try to keep my cool.”

Either way, Clarkson stressed that he still loves his former Jazz coaches, teammates, the franchise, and the city. So even if his tenure there seems complicated, his feelings do not.

“I don’t have nothing bad to say about them and nothing bad to say about the city,” Clarkson said. “So it’s just going to be a lot of happiness and joy to be able to see everybody else that was there.”

The setting offers a contrast to his current circumstances. The Knicks enter Wednesday’s game against the Jazz as one of the Eastern Conference contenders. The Jazz are still rebuilding. Clarkson remains on pace to average career lows in points per game (8.7) and minutes played (18.0), a far cry from his time in Utah as either a definitive starter or secondary scorer.

“I didn’t come in expecting anything, honestly,” said Clarkson, who signed with the Knicks last summer on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal. “A lot of people made expectations on my arrival and what I can do and what I’ve done my whole career. But not knowing anything, I came here with an open canvas. I just knew one goal and what we wanted to do, and that’s to win.”

The Knicks presumably would like to hear those words. Despite Clarkson experiencing six healthy scratches in the past three weeks, the Knicks have lauded him for his attitude.

“True professional. I see him putting in his work every single day and staying ready,” Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said. “Being a teammate of his has been great. Being able to talk to him all the time and consistently has been great for me. I love him and everything that he’s done.”

Clarkson obviously would love to do more, saying he’s “just trying to stay locked in for any moment and opportunity I get here.” But Knicks coach Mike Brown stressed that Clarkson’s recent demotion has more to do with a crowded nine-man rotation than anything about his shortcomings.

Brown added that Clarkson is “a guy that we can lean on.” As the Knicks struggled offensively in an eventual 110-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, Brown inserted Clarkson in hopes of jumpstarting the team. He scored nine points on 3-for-4 shooting in 10 minutes, including eight in the fourth quarter.

“It’s not anything that he’s doing wrong. Jordan’s been great,” Brown said. “He’s been a fabulous, fabulous veteran that has helped us win games. He has played in some big moments for us. And so we just need him like he’s doing to keep himself ready, keep educating me as a vet because he’s got a lot of knowledge. Keep educating our young guys as a vet and help with the connection of the group. That’s what he is doing. So it’s just a matter of circumstance based on available time.”

Clarkson spoke further with EssentiallySports about how he’s dealt with his reduced role. He also spoke about possibly playing for the Philippines’ national team at the 2026 Asian Games and about the near 10-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s 60-point performance in his final game.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

What was key to having the game you had [against the Lakers] even in a limited run?

Clarkson: “For me, it’s just staying ready. I take advantage of every opportunity that I get. Today was the end of the third and beginning of the fourth. So I’m just continuing to stay ready, talking to the young dudes, talking to my teammates, and being engaged. That’s all I’ve been worried about.”

Big picture, what has staying ready looked like?

Clarkson: “Playing with young dudes, playing 5-on-5, playing 1-on-1 with Tyler [Kolek], Jeremy [Sochan], Mo [Diawara], the coaches, and extra running. I’m staying in the gym, staying in the weight room, and continuing to watch film. I’m just staying engaged. I’m talking to my teammates and hearing everybody out and continuing to communicate. I think that’s the biggest thing, so that’s all I’ve been doing.”

Mike said because of your experience that there’s a lot of different perspective you can offer. What’s been the different things you’ve tried to offer?

Clarkson: “It’s from experience and from watching. Sometimes, I might not be able to do some stuff that other players can do on the court, whether it’s defensively or offensively. So I just let them hear what I’m seeing from my perspective of the game and what I see [on the court]. I’m trying to help with trying to make adjustments to help win.”

Any examples jump out?

Clarkson: “Sometimes, it’s with the young guys like Mo with how to navigate defensively. If it’s with KAT, tell him to slow down offensively and play off [teammates] and about navigating double teams. There’s different things I talk to my teammates about, but that’s really it.”

Mike made it clear it’s just the rotation and trying to figure out minutes for everyone, and it’s not like you’re doing anything wrong specifically. But given your body of work and competitive nature, how do you wrestle with all of that stuff?

Clarkson: “I just stay ready. I get paid to be a hooper. So I wake up in the morning, go shoot, play 5-on-5, whoever it is. Coach, our media guy Derek [Lapinski], if he wants to get ones, I’ll bust his, too. (laughs). Our security, if they want to get their ass busted, I can give it to everybody (laughs).”

You’ve always been a pro your whole career. Where does that come from through everything?

Clarkson: “I came from San Antonio, Texas. Only a few made it to the league from San Antonio. So I’m trying to be an example and inspire my people back home from the Philippines all the way to San Antonio and just do thing.”

I saw [Jazz coach] Will Hardy say that the way you play is almost like the way an artist thinks. And that it’s good a lot of times to just let you have your solo on the guitar. How do you look at that perspective?

Clarkson: “I think he put it in the best way. I think he explained it. That’s what I am. I’m a rock star in many ways, bro. I try to bring that flavor, style, and creativity, and my passion to the game.”

Is there any chance you will play for the Philippines this summer?

Clarkson: “I’m looking into it. I know it’s the Asian Games this summer. Hopefully, I get a chance to compete. I want to, but we’ll see how it goes.”

Obviously, you have the hometown connections. But why is it important for you to play this summer?

Clarkson: “For us and for me, not making the Olympics and not fully accomplishing what we want to accomplish in the World Cup. Reaching the goal of having a chance to make the Olympics, I think, is a big thing for me and to represent the country.”

What do you think of the program’s potential to make the Olympics?

Clarkson: “I think we have a good chance. I think we have a good team. We just got to figure out how to mesh the guys together and play the right combinations and figure it out from there. We got a lot of talent on the team, from older dudes to younger dudes as well. Hopefully, they let me play as a naturalized player and give me some leeway on things so we can continue to get more talent and we stay loaded.”

Are those logistics still being ironed out?

Clarkson: “I think so, but I don’t know. The rules change with FIBA like every week. So who knows? I’m just seeing what’s good and want to put the best team on the floor to represent the country and do that.”

What perspective can you give about Filipino basketball, and where do you see it heading?

Clarkson: “You continue to see more Filipino Americans in the league. I think we’ve had close to four now – me, Dylan Harper, Jalen Green, and Jared McCain. We just want to continue to see more in this game and see us continue to grow. Hopefully, we have more guys feeling inspired to be able to make it here.”

What’s your favorite Filipino fandom story?

Clarkson: “I went to Burger King one time, and we shut down the whole mall. That was pretty crazy. I had to get rushed back through the backdoors of the mall. The Filipino love and fanbase is crazy. It’s crazy for basketball. They always show love for the game.”

You played both with LeBron [James] and Kobe. Kobe played for 20 years. LeBron is on year 23. What jumped out to you on what they did to play that long?

Clarkson: “Both of them were constantly working. They’re staying in the gym. Those dudes are always the first ones there. They’re staying after, getting shots, and working on their bodies. They’re in the cold tub, in the hot tub, getting stretched, massages. It’s all the little things that play a part in everything. Those dudes were meticulous to the smallest details. It shows how long both of those dudes can play.”

The 10-year anniversary is coming up on Kobe’s 60-point performance in his final game. What’s your favorite core memory of that night?

Clarkson: “I would say when the first shot went down. I remember he went 0-for-7 or 0-for-8 [0-for-5]. But when he made that first one, I knew he was in the flow then, and the rain was going to keep coming. Then the last play, of course, when he threw his last assist, and I dunked it. That’s pretty memorable for me. That’s my man.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for EssentiallySports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.