In only his second season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jordan Clarkson has already made a considerable impression. Clarkson has played so well in such a short amount of time for the Lakers with all the odds against him that he’s already locked up a starting role on the team for the foreseeable future in Los Angeles.
Along with solidifying his position as Kobe Bryant’s successor in the Lakers backcourt, Clarkson went from earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors last year to playing in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge this year.
During Clarkson’s trip to All-Star Weekend in Toronto in February, the second-year guard out of Missouri gave a behind-the-scenes look at his journey. Clarkson talks about coming out of San Antonio, Texas and using video of the 2014 NBA Draft as his motivation to continue to prove the doubters wrong.
I didn’t get here overnight. See what keeps me hungry and working for more . #NBAAllStar
Posted by Jordan Clarkson on Thursday, March 17, 2016
Coming into the 2014 NBA Draft, the sole focus for the Lakers was getting the best player available with the seventh overall pick. After drafting Julius Randle out of Kentucky, Los Angeles didn’t have another selection.
Fortunately, the team was intent on acquiring another pick and was able to convince the Washington Wizards to part with the 46th overall selection for cash. Clarkson ended up heading to Los Angeles with a chip on his shoulder and a relentless drive to show all the teams that passed on him that they made a serious mistake.
The acquisition of Clarkson in the draft may prove to be one of the best moves by the Lakers franchise in recent memory. Clarkson continues to strive for more as he’s quickly become one of the best young guards in the NBA today.
