The 2024 Paris Olympics are weeks away, with training camps for almost all national teams underway. Japan will be the only Asian country in the mix and has announced their 12-man roster led by Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura.
“Yudai Baba, Rui Hachimura, Josh Hawkinson, Makoto Hiejima, Akira Jacobs, Yuki Kawamura, Kai Toews, Yuki Togashi, Keise Tominaga, Hugh Watanabe, Yuta Watanabe, Hirotaka Yoshi.”
The Japanese national team will compete against hosts France, reigning FIBA World Cup winner Germany, and Brazil in Group B of the tournament. They earned their spot at the Olympics by finishing 19th in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the highest-ranking Asian team in the competition.
Here is a closer look at the players who will be representing Japan at the Olympics:
Yudai Baba is an athletic shooting guard who is well-known for his speed and dunking ability, having had multiple stints with the Texas Legends in the G League, even signing a contract with the Dallas Mavericks. Baba averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 steals for the Nagasaki Velca in the Japanese B.League.
Rui Hachimura is the highest-profile name on the roster as the only player who is currently in the NBA, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Hachimura played for Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well, but the host nation went winless and was eliminated in the first round. He averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds over the last NBA season and will aim to lead Japan to a better finish this time.
Josh Hawkinson is an imposing center who made his debut for Japan at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He averaged 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 blocks for the Sun Rockers Shibuya in the B.League.
Makoto Hiejima is among the stars of the Japanese national team, as the former B League MVP will play a crucial role with his shooting ability. He averaged 12.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists for the Utsunomiya Brex in the B.League,
Akira Jacobs is a young and athletic forward who’s playing NCAA basketball for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, but struggled to produce as a freshman, averaging 2.4 points and 1.0 rebounds over 28 appearances.
Yuki Kawamura is well-remembered for his heroic 15-point fourth quarter for Japan to pull off an upset win over Finland in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The 23-year-old won B.League MVP in 2023 and spent last season with the Yokohama B-Corsairs, averaging 20.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists.
Kai Toews is a combo guard with great offensive talent, averaging 10.7 points and 4.7 assists last season for Alvark Tokyo of the B.League.
Yuki Togashi is a gifted 6’6″ point guard with tons of positional versatility, winning the 2019 B.League MVP. He’s also a former Dallas Maverick who played for the Texas Legends and likely will be Japan’s starting point guard at the tournament. Togashi averaged 18.0 points and 5.3 assists for the Chiba Jets Funabashi last season.
Keise Tominaga is a legitimate NCAA point guard, starting for the Nebraska Cornhuskers last season while averaging 15.1 points. The point guard’s professional future is still in question, but he will be in contention to take Togashi’s starting spot or have both guards start together.
Hugh Watanabe is a tenacious power forward who played NCAA basketball at Portland and UC Davis before joining the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the B.League, winning a league title with them in 2023. He averaged 1.2 points last season and was used sparingly by his team.
Yuta Watanabe just closed the book on a six-year NBA career where he featured for the Grizzlies, Nets, Raptors, and Suns as an ace sharpshooting forward. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds last season in the NBA but is now signed up with the Chiba Jets Funabashi of the B.League, playing basketball in his home country once again.
Hirotaka Yoshi is one of the only small forwards on the roster, averaging 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds for Alvark Tokyo of the B.League.
The Japanese roster isn’t expected to make a medal run at Paris 2024, but with an NBA starter leading the team, they should be a little competitive. The pieces around Hachimura look solid, but he will have to carry a heavy load for the country, likely starting as their small forward.
Group B in Paris will be a tricky test for Japan. The reigning FIBA World Cup Champions Germany will bring a stacked roster featuring former Hachimura teammate Dennis Schroder, along with Franz and Moritz Wagner as well, among others.
The favorites to win the group will be France, expected to be led by Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. This will be an extremely tough test for Japan to overcome, but basketball is a game of upsets. Brazil has been looking great over the Olympic qualifiers but could present Japan with its best opportunity to win.
The expectations on the island nation aren’t very high, but this group of talented players could shock the world if the chips fall their way.
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