Jordan Clarkson's athleticism and explosiveness earned him the nickname, "Baby Westbrook" from Los Angeles Lakers teammate, Carlos Boozer. But he's not feeling it at all.
Westbrook, of course, refers to the Oklahoma Thunder firebrand Russell Westbrook, who emerged as one of the candidates for MVP this year after the injury to current Most Valuable Player, Kevin Durant.
The rookie told Los Angeles Times, "That's a great compliment. But I kind of want to be my own player."
Jordan Clarkson averaged 11.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The 6-5 point guard really blossomed after the All-Star break when he was inserted into the starting point guard and averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds.
And the league took notice as he was even named the Rookie of the Month in the Western Conference for March.
Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson said that he will watch a lot of Chris Paul's plays.
According to a tweet from Lakers reporter Serena Winters, "Jordan Clarkson says the one person he's going to watch a lot of is Chris Paul, specifically pertaining to leadership."
Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul earlier praised Jordan Clarkson for being fearless out there on the floor.
Shanan Ahmed tweeted, "Chris Paul on @JClark5on : 'He can really play. I've known him since Missouri...and I think he's going to continue to get better.'"
Jordan Clarkson also said that he's going to continue working out with Steve Nash, whom he credited for his play this season. The Los Angeles Lakers point guard said that he's always going to have a chip on his shoulder.
"I'm a second-round pick - 46th pick. It's always gonna be on my mind. ... I'm never going to forget draft day," he said.
"It's motivating for me. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to play for this organization in this league. I think I watched the draft maybe like 10 times throughout the year. ... I don't look at it like, 'I should've been drafted there.' Everything happens for a reason," the Los Angeles Lakers rookie added.
