Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe slam-dunked through the glass ceiling for Japanese basketball players to make it to the NBA. Now, they have inspired a succession of young Japanese hoopsters to ...

Japan forward Yuta Watanabe voiced hope he might calm the waters after his national teammate Rui Hachimura openly questioned Tom Hovasse staying on as the men's team head coach. "I'm looking to ...

Rui Hachimura has elected to play for Japan as ... On the Japan roster, Rui and Yuta Watanabe are the only players who played/played in the NBA as rotation players. Watanabe announced his ...

Born in Yokohama, Japan, Yuta Watanabe is an emerging star who is ... player selected in the first round of an NBA draft, Rui Hachimura has quickly become an emblem of the country's basketball ...

Dave McMenamin: JJ Redick said that the team hopes to have Rui Hachimura available for both legs of the two remaining back-to-backs on the schedule after CHI. Redick said keeping Hachimura out ...

The steady ascent began with Rui Hachimura making waves as a lottery pick and has since been sustained by the lengthy presence of Yuta Watanabe in the NBA. But the next chapter in Japan's ...

Rui Hachimura, a forward with the Los Angeles ... Although Japan’s World Cup team included NBA player Yuta Watanabe, Hovasse emphasized solidarity among all players. That approach led to Japan ...

Rui Hachimura (R) of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the ball during an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on April 11, 2025. (NBAE/Getty/Kyodo ...

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) smiles during an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 26, 2025. (NBAE/Getty ...