Rui Hachimura has been with the Los Angeles Lakers for nearly three years now, and he has certainly enjoyed his time with the team. Hachimura has established himself as an important piece for the Lakers, and he had a great response when asked about his role with the team on Friday.
“I’m not trying to be a superstar or anything,” Hachimura said, via Dave McMenamin. “I’m just trying to help the team win. Whatever they asked for. And then again, I like my role here… I’m not trying to be a Big 3… I’m really trying to win the championship with this team.
“I like how they’ve been treating me,” Hachimura continued. “Giving the roles and everything. Very specific. Especially JJ [Redick] has been pretty good with that. So, I’m happy.”
Hachimura, who is averaging 14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2025-26, has played his role well, for the most part, during his time with the Lakers. The 27-year-old has never tried to be something he is not and understands the hierarchy.
The Lakers acquired Hachimura from the Washington Wizards in January 2023 for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks. It wasn’t a move that generated a lot of buzz at the time, but it has proven to be one of the better ones that general manager Rob Pelinka has made.
Hachimura has been the Lakers’ best three-point shooter for years now. The Japanese forward shot 42.2% from beyond the arc in 2023-24 and then 41.3% in 2024-25. You wouldn’t have imagined he’d be able to better those numbers significantly this time around, but he has.
Hachimura is shooting a ridiculous 48.3% from three on 3.8 attempts per game in 2025-26. Among Lakers who are averaging over 3 three-pointers a game this season, he is only one shooting better than 35.0%, which tells you just how much better he has been than everyone else.
Luka Doncic stated that Hachimura is very underrated, as he doesn’t get much credit for the Lakers’ wins. The superstars are the ones who dominate the headlines, but the forward isn’t losing much sleep over that.
Rui Hachimura On Facing Off Against Anthony Davis
For much of Hachimura’s time with the Lakers, Anthony Davis was by his side in the frontcourt. Davis’ time with the team then came to an end in February 2025 when he was sent to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the shocking Doncic trade. With the Mavericks and the Lakers facing off for the first time this season on Friday, Hachimura spoke about facing his former teammate.
“It’s still weird sometimes when I see him on the TV or like, when I play against him,” Hachimura stated, via Khobi Price. “It feels weird… I had a good relationship with him off the court and on the court… I miss him, of course, but it’s a business. I’m happy for him, whatever he got going on over there.”
Davis has had a difficult season, having missed significant time due to a left calf strain. He suffered the injury against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 29 and ended up being sidelined for 14 games. Davis, interestingly, seemed very keen on returning against the Lakers, and it will be interesting to see how impactful he proves to be in the contest.
