One of the greatest strength of the New York Knicks during their 2025-26 championship run was the depth of their roster and the overall connectivity that the team possessed. 

While New York's starting five obviously featured premier talent, their bench was full of experienced role players that had a key understanding of what was being asked of them and what they had to do to help make the team as a whole succesful.

That deep bench featured both young, emerging talent as well as established NBA veterans. But when looking at a roster as deep and talented as the Knicks' was, it's inevitable that sacrifices had to be made in regard to playing time.

Playing time can be a sore subject for NBA players, particularly veterans that have already proven that they can be viable starters in another situation, and there lies the opportunity for friction within a team.

But the Knicks didn't experience any of that potential friction. Jordan Clarkson was one of those established veterans who had to get used to adapting to new role and limited usage.

He averaged 17.8 minutes per game with the Knicks last season, the lowest minutes per game of his career, but Clarkson also demonstrated a ken understanding of what this new role required of him. 

In a recent interview with GQ Philippines, Clarkson expanded on what that process demanded of him and shared the values that he thinks any NBA player in his situation has to have to keep contributing to team success no matter what.

“The thing I learned being here this long is that everybody believes they're the best player. They wouldn't be here if they weren't. So being able to put your ego to the side is important," Clarkson said. "It's about coming together as a team, helping each other to win without getting jealous and having no ill intent toward any of your teammates."

That kind of mentality is exactly what helped the Knicks be so successful last season and Clarkson is clearly happy with the role and place he has with the team now considering that he re-signed with the Knicks this offseason.

His role will likely remain a similar size as it was last season, but Clarkson having the talent and experience that he has worked hard for makes him a valuable asset for the Knicks to call upon in games, as he demonstrated at times during the playoffs last season. 

Now that the Knicks are gearing up to become the first repeat champions that the NBA has seen in nearly a decade, Clarkson will remain a crucial part of the process, even if he isn't called upon as often as he was earlier in his career. But as he's already shown, he understands the position that he's in and he's willing to do what he can for the team.