Pointing the way: Japan's Kawamura Yuki off to his NBA adventure
After coming within inches of orchestrating one of Olympic basketball's biggest upsets this summer vs France, the Japanese maestro is trying to make it in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies as the intrigue mounts.
Basketball
No. 17.
The number rings an instant bell for any sports fan in Japan - Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar rewriting one chapter after another of baseball history.
It also happens to be the number Kawamura Yuki will be wearing as the Japanese hoopster takes a shot at the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Expectations are high for the pint-sized Paris 2024 Olympian - realistically or not - and donning Ohtani’s number only adds more spice to the mission he’s on.
“I only realised after I picked it but it’s what Shohei Ohtani wears in baseball,” Kawamura said on 1 October after the Grizzlies’ first day of training camp.
“The number doesn’t have deep meaning for me personally, but I can’t embarrass myself out there now. I have to play well enough to make everyone think wearing No. 17 in America means something.”
Kawamura Yuki: "Every day is a tryout"
Kawamura is on an Exhibit 10 contract with the Grizzlies, a non-guaranteed, one-year deal on a minimum salary. If he impresses enough before the new NBA season opens on 22 October, the team can convert it into a two-way contract which would allow him to shuttle between Memphis and its G League affiliate.
But easier said than done, especially for a 1.72m guard from Japan, despite his burst of speed and slick passing game.
“Every day is a tryout. I can get cut anytime,” Kawamura said. “Can’t let up at all, have to prove to my team-mates and the coaching staff that I can play.
“I have to look at myself hard in the mirror each and everyday, and play with conviction.”
It’s been two months since Kawamura and the Japanese men nearly shocked the world against Victor Wembanyama and hosts France at the Olympic Games in Paris.
With a mere 16 seconds to go, Japan were up 84-80. But Kawamura was called for a foul on Matthew Strazel who converted a four-point play to tie the game.
Japan - who saw their best player Rui Hachimura ejected early in the fourth quarter - still had the last shot, but Kawamura missed a deep 3 as the game went into overtime.
With nothing left in the tank for the extra session, Japan lost 94-90, missing out on what would have been one of the biggest upsets in Olympic basketball history.
Despite defeat, Kawamura’s stock soared after scoring 29 points on six 3-pointers to go with seven rebounds and six assists against the eventual silver medallists.
“The coaching staff were telling me they saw the Olympics and saying things like I was incredible so that really made me happy,” he said. “But now I have to show that to my team-mates. There is still so much for me to do.”
Kawamura and Japan had Victor Wembanyama and France on the ropes at Paris 2024 - but failed to land the knockout punch.
Kawamura Yuki - Playing for keeps
Kawamura is a deeply respectful man, bowing to the court every time he enters the game. The 23-year-old also remains grounded amid the hype in Japan and Asia, having said that he is in the States for the long haul, eyeing a full-time NBA contract within three years.
Should Kawamura make it in the Association at his size, it would be a massive step not only for Japanese basketball but also for the continental game.
He seems to be fully aware what’s at stake - and is locked in as if he were darting one of his no-look passes.
“Every day has been incredibly rewarding,” said Kawamura, who has had two preseason games under his belt for head coach Taylor Jenkins. “Today was just the first day but some things I did well, others not. It was a really productive day.
“It’s been really fun. Working on my game, working on my English. I’m trying to constantly communicate with my team-mates.
“It’s intense, as I expected. Everyone’s full of energy. They’re not just big, but they all have heart, practicing with so much passion.
“This is my dream stage. Whether I’m on for 40 minutes or one, I’ll be giving it my 100 per cent.”
Kawamura nails a 3-pointer for his first NBA bucket in the preseason for the Memphis Grizzlies.