Jordan Clarkson sparks Knicks comeback in return to Delta Center

And isn’t it just perfect that on Wednesday night, when the Knicks were flailing and in need of some sort of a spark off the bench, Clarkson was the one to deliver?

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He scored 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, sparking a second-half run for the Knicks in a 134-117 come-from-behind victory over the Jazz. The crowd, which was a surprisingly equal mix of Knicks fans and Jazz fans, was one when Clarkson had the ball and on every point he scored.

Though he’s appreciative of his opportunity in New York, to play for a team that’s contending, Utah, the Jazz and the fans will always hold a special place in his heart.

“They mean a lot, a lot of love,” Clarkson said. “Feel like the whole city is a fan of the Jazz, even the whole state. I feel it even while I’m in New York. Hopefully we’ll see a bunch of double-00 jerseys in here. Just express the love of being back here and being back home.”

And he’s not exaggerating when he calls it home. Clarkson still owns his house in Utah, still has a ton of relationships, came back to Utah before his season with the Knicks started and made of point of saying that he spent half of his 12-year career in a Jazz jersey.

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While the Sixth Man award and the Jazz’s league-leading 2021-22 season were career highlights for Clarkson, he appreciated being the lone holdover from the previous era when the Jazz started rebuilding.

“My time here has just been great, period,” he said. “Even when we went through tough seasons the last two, three years — it’s all been great. It’s all been a highlight for me … it’s all love.”

Clarkson found value in learning to be a veteran mentor and redefining the kind of player he could be.

He also enjoyed helping head coach Will Hardy learn the ropes and find his footing in his first years at the helm of an NBA team. And without really knowing it, he gave Hardy much-needed perspective.

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“He had such a big impact on me coming in as a first-time head coach,” Hardy said. “He taught me about when to let go of control, and that our players in this league are so talented and gifted, and there are moments as a coach where your responsibility is to help them and to guide them, and then there’s also moments where your responsibility is to get out of their way.

“I feel like I spent a lot of my time trying to get out of Jordan’s way, because he has unbelievable instincts. But you know, as JC is, sometimes he sees it a little bit differently than everybody else. I had so much fun coaching him.”

There are a number of players in Jazz history that have better stats, or that had bigger impacts on the trajectory of the team. There’s a long list of Utah Jazz greats that you would have to get through before landing on Clarkson’s name. But he is, without a doubt, one of the coolest and one of the most beloved players that this team has ever had.

And on Wednesday night, he held back his emotions during the tribute video, then came alive to put on another show for Jazz fans, and remind them of why they love him.