Yuta Watanabe was a man on a mission, and safe to say he succeeded when he provided doubters wrong about how they thought of the Japanese.
The 28-year-old shed light on what it meant to represent his country along with Washington Wizards’ Rui Hachimura, the only other Japanese player in the NBA.
Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Watanabe, who was leading the NBA in 3-point percentage (57.1% 3PT) before going down with an injury, was candid and hoped to change people’s perceptions.
“I think it’s really important for us to represent our country. When I was growing up, and I said I wanted to be an NBA player, people were like, ‘Only one Japanese guy made it to the league, so it’s almost impossible. You can’t do that.'”
“I wanted to change those people’s perceptions. I wanted to change how they thought about themselves and the Japanese. I think more people started watching the NBA. I hope a lot of kids right now are starting to dream of being an NBA player.”
He further added:
“There was a time I thought I might not belong to this league. My family, friends, teammates, and coaching staff always encouraged me to keep my head up.”
There’s a sense of gratefulness that can be observed from the forward’s tone. He also added that there were tough moments in his life when he felt he wouldn’t make it to the big leagues. But he did, and that makes for a motivational story in itself.
Yuta Watanabe Reveals The Reason Behind His Prolific Shooting
While he was always confident about his shooting, it was a pleasant surprise for Watanabe when he realized he was shooting a whopping 57% in 3s.
And he’s also aware that the streak would eventually get cold and come to an end. The forward credited the Brooklyn Nets’ big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons for his improved shooting.
“The reason I’m shooting well is because of KD [Kevin Durant], Ben [Simmons], and Kyrie [Irving]. I’m playing with those greats. They get doubled all the time, so I’m always open, and my job is to make those wide-open shots.”
At the time of writing, Watanabe averages 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. He’s also shooting 60.9% from the field. The Nets will surely benefit when he returns as they stake their claim for a playoff and beyond bid.
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