Jordan Clarkson Reveals Knicks Signing Origin at Central Park Podcast

New York, NY – Jordan Clarkson confirmed his signing with the New York Knicks came after a pivotal phone call while he was at Wimbledon. His agent, Rich Paul, asked him, ‘Where you wanna go?’

Clarkson, 33, responded, ‘I wanna come to New York.’ This exchange, which unfolded in just two minutes, was disclosed during a live taping of ‘The Roommates’ podcast on Saturday night. Hosted by his new teammates, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, the event drew a crowd of enthusiastic Knicks fans at Rumsey Playfield, despite rainy conditions.

The Filipino-American guard, who recently negotiated a buyout from the Utah Jazz, explained why he chose New York. ‘The arena [Madison Square Garden], honestly,’ Clarkson emphasized. ‘Feeling the energy from the fans… when you’re playing like s–t, they’ll let you know. But when you’re playing great, it’s all love.’

Clarkson’s comedic yet relatable remarks drew laughter from the crowd. In a lighthearted moment, Hart joked about the differences in fan culture between Salt Lake City and New York. ‘The Garden’s going to be great vibes,’ Hart said. ‘We got more flavor to our crowd, brother.’

Clarkson, who has 11 years of NBA experience, is expected to assume a vital role off the bench, slotting in as a ‘microwave scorer.’ Previously, he garnered the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021 while with the Jazz, where he spent the longest tenure of his career.

‘Y’all been doing great things over here,’ Clarkson commented about the Knicks, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season. He expressed his desire to elevate the team’s performance. ‘I just want to come in here and enhance what y’all got going on.’

In the live session, Brunson reminisced about their conversations prior to Clarkson’s signing, hinting at a mutual interest that had been brewing for some time. ‘I’m not going to say when,’ Brunson said, ‘but me and Jordan talked about this a while ago.’

Clarkson is optimistic about joining a squad that aims for an NBA title. According to Howard Beck, a basketball insider, he could significantly ease the burden on Brunson by sharing ball-handling duties when Brunson rests. This could be especially crucial as the Knicks aim to improve their bench performance, which was a notable weakness last season.

‘With Clarkson, they look to change that and give their starters a chance to rest,’ Beck said, emphasizing Clarkson’s potential impact on the team’s overall productivity.