The Japanese media went crazy about Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura and followed his every step during the 2019 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. There were 21 different media outlets and 61 credentialed Japanese journalists were all around Hachimura in the summer league.
It shows how the nation of Japan is excited to have players in the NBA, but they never had a star like Hachimura before as he is the first Japanese player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
All the fuss didn’t confuse Hachimura, who got used to it because he knows how people in Japan react to athletes and fellow famous Japanese.
“I am used to it now, especially after the draft. It was crazy talking English and Japanese back and forth. But I have gotten used to it,” Hachimura told The Undefeated. “One of my jobs is to represent Japan. People want to see me right now. I’m everywhere right now in Japan on TV, newspapers. I am doing it for my country and the little kids watching me.”
“One of my jobs is to represent Japan. People want to see me right now. I’m everywhere right now in Japan on TV, newspapers. I am doing it for my country and the little kids watching me,” #Wizards rookie @rui_8mura to @TheUndefeated. #NBA https://t.co/vMfYg9aLM7 #NBASummerLeague
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 16, 2019
The difference between Hachimura and other Japanese athletes, such as MLB stars Ichiro Suzuki, Yu Darvish, and Shohei Ohtani who are playing in North America, is that he doesn’t use a translator.
“The difference is I don’t use a translator,” Hachimura said. “But it’s good for me because I learned the language and speak English and Japanese too. It makes me smart because it strains on my brain.”
Hachimura was a big hit in college basketball last season as he averaged a team-high 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds for Gonzaga. He earned the 2019 West Coast Conference Player of the Year award and was a consensus first-team All-America selection. He was also selected to the 2019 NBA Summer League second team.
Rui Hachimura stole the show tonight in Vegas.
25 points 🇯🇵 9 rebounds 🔥 2 blocks#WizSummer | @rui_8mura pic.twitter.com/kLWpfSKA3R
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) July 12, 2019
