Rui HACHIMURA

Born in Toyama to a Japanese mother and Beninese father, Rui Hachimura has become one of the stars of his homeland's basketball team.

Having been initially interested in baseball, Hachimura finally picked basketball and led Meisei High School to consecutive titles in the All-Japan High School Tournament. There he caught the attention of scouts and made the Jordan Brand Classic, a high school all-star basketball game.

In 2015, after signing his National Letter of Intent, the forward committed to play for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Despite initial language challenges, the fifth Japanese-born player to compete in NCAA Division I improved steadily while at the Spokane-based team. They reached a first NCAA Championship Game in his freshman year, but he played a bigger role as a junior as he averaged 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

After leading the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight in the 2018-19 season, Hachimura declared for the 2019 NBA Draft. He was picked ninth overall by the Washington Wizards making him the second Japanese-born player to be drafted into the NBA. Despite defensive struggles, the youngster played his part and was named to the second NBA All-Rookie Team.