Asian Games: Gilas Pilipinas’ Jordan Clarkson faces ‘fight’ from ex-Missouri teammate and South Korea star Ricardo Ratliffe
US-born naturalised Korean Ratliffe is his team’s key player, scoring 21 points in their pool A victory over Thailand in the Asian Games
Ricardo Ratliffe refuses to put himself in the same league as Jordan Clarkson, but the key playmaker for South Korea is vowing to give the Philippines NBA star a fight when they meet in the Asian Games basketball play-offs.
The 29-year-old Hampton-born Ratliffe, who stands 2.03 metres (six-foot-eight), became a naturalised Korean in January 2018 after being selected sixth by Ulsan Mobis Phoebus in the 2012 Korean Basketball League draft.
He led defending champions South Korea with 21 points in their 117-77 victory over Thailand in their pool A encounter on Wednesday to set up a quarter-final against Philippines, who lost 82-80 to China in their last group game.
“Jordan Clarkson, he is an NBA star,” Ratliffe, who used to play practice games with Cleveland Cavaliers’ Clarkson when they both attended the University of Missouri, told Korean media. “He scores 14 points on average in one game and that tells you he is one of the best players in the world.
“I just have to play against him in the game. I look forward to the fight. This is just a basketball game. They are men like us. There is no reason to fear the Philippines.”