Manny Pacquiao Called Jordan Clarkson After the Knicks Won the Finals. The Video Is Everything.

The New York Knicks have a new fan base in the Philippines, and it’s all because of Jordan Clarkson. During the victory parade on Thursday, a fan reminded Clarkson that he’s the first Filipino athlete to ever win an NBA championship. Then his phone rang. It was Manny Pacquiao.

The boxing legend FaceTimed Clarkson while the parade was still going. The whole thing was caught on camera and posted by Ring Magazine. Pacquiao congratulated him in a quick call that lasted maybe 20 seconds, but the moment landed hard. For Filipino fans, seeing Pacquiao and Clarkson in the same frame — two guys who both carried the flag on the world stage — was a lot to process.

Clarkson scored 14 total points in the 2026 Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. That alone would have been enough to make history. But he also hit a wild, banked-in 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter in one of the closeout games. That shot got replayed about a thousand times on Filipino sports TV.

Coming off the bench for a title

Clarkson spent his first season in New York averaging 8.6 points a game. He came off the bench and gave the Knicks a jolt of energy whenever they needed it. That’s been his role for years, and he never complained about it. At 34 years old, he’s already been through the Lakers, the Cavs, and a long run with the Jazz. This was his first ring.

He also plays for the Philippines national team during summers and has been open about how much his heritage means to him. So the Pacquiao call wasn’t just a celebrity shoutout. It was two guys who represent the same country checking in. That hits different.

Alvarado and Towns brought their own energy

Clarkson wasn’t the only Knicks player drawing a crowd from his community. Jose Alvarado, who grew up in Brooklyn, has been building a strong Puerto Rican following all postseason. He showed up to the Puerto Rican Parade four days before the championship parade, which tells you how dialed in he is to that connection.

Karl-Anthony Towns brought a Dominican Republic presence too. At the parade, Towns did the “Lean Back” dance with New York mayor Zohran Mamdani. It’s the same dance that Knicks superfan Fat Joe popularized years ago. Seeing a mayor and a 7-footer doing that move together was one of those New York moments you can’t really script.

But Clarkson’s moment with Pacquiao was the most personal. It happened fast, in the middle of a parade, and it wasn’t planned. Sometimes the best moments are the ones nobody saw coming.