Jordan Clarkson Returns Home in San Antonio for NBA Finals — Dylan Harper Mom
Jordan Clarkson is playing the NBA Finals in San Antonio, the city where he grew up and where his parents still live. That makes dylan harper mom part of a homecoming story that is now unfolding on the league’s biggest stage. The Knicks won Game 1 on Wednesday night, and Clarkson said the setting has made the run feel different.
Clarkson’s San Antonio return
“Definitely feels amazing, kind of unreal, honestly, just growing up in this city, having a teammate that went to the same high school as me,” Clarkson said after landing in the Finals in his hometown. He was talking about a place that shaped his basketball life long before he reached the Knicks roster last summer.
He also pointed to the family side of the trip. “Playing the state championship games, just a lot of growth here as a kid. So this definitely feels great and seeing my family members, them being able to come to a finals game. It’s just amazing.”
Wagner High ties and family
Clarkson grew up in San Antonio not far from where the Knicks and Spurs are battling for an NBA title, and he said he spent a lot of his offseason in Texas. His parents still live there, and when his daughter is not with him, she also lives in San Antonio. That gives this Finals run a different kind of crowd around him than most road games.
He spent time as a kid hanging around the hotel where his mom worked, and he has mentioned watching Spurs championship parades from there. Those are the same streets and buildings where he was building the habits that later carried him through the league, from the Lakers, Cavaliers and Jazz to New York.
Game 1 and Friday night
The series opened with the Knicks taking Game 1 in San Antonio on Wednesday night. Clarkson’s return adds a personal layer to a Finals that is already being played in the place where he watched title celebrations as a child.
Keldon Johnson, the Spurs forward, said of Clarkson: “Jordan’s an amazing player. When you talk about sixth men, you have to bring his name in to the conversation. He’s been a spark on whatever team he’s been on. It’s a testament to all the work he puts in. He’s honed his craft. He’s an exciting player to watch. I just tip my cap to him.” Game 2 is set to tip off at 6:30 MDT on Friday on, with Clarkson’s family still able to be in the building for the next chapter at home.