The Los Angeles Lakers had to wait patiently for Rui Hachimura to find his form after trading for him in February and they were rewarded heavily in the playoffs. Hachimura was crucial to the Lakers’ unsuspecting run to the Conference Finals and has a big free agency payday waiting for him.
After the stress of last season and finally finding his footing in the NBA, Hachimura announced he will not play for Japan in the 2023 FIBA World Cup due to his free agency and preparation for next season.
“I have made the decision to withdraw from this year’s FIBA World Cup. It was a very difficult decision to make but after last season and the long playoffs, I decided to give priority to my future NBA career in preparation for my first free agency. In addition, I will focus on training this summer and prepare my body for the next season. I would like to thank everyone involved, the JBA, and head coach Tom Hovasse for their understanding of my decision this time. I would like to wish my teammates of the Japan national basketball team the best of luck. I’ll be their number one supporter.”
Hachimura averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds for the Lakers in the regular season before taking a jump in the playoffs, averaging 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 16 games.
Hachimura isn’t the only NBA star to not be representing their nation at the World Cup this year, with Victor Wembanyama recently announcing he won’t participate either. Hachimura’s Lakers teammate Austin Reaves will be playing for Team USA after snubbing the German national team, while Paolo Banchero snubbed Italy to also represent the USA.
Elite Hoops In The Summer
The FIBA World Cup may not be as prestigious as the Olympics, but it’s arguably the second-biggest international basketball event. Team USA is sending a young squad with many making their national team debuts, like Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Ingram, Anthony Edwards, and more.
Superstars like Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), and more are still expected to be playing in the tournament. Other countries such as Canada are also bringing multiple NBA players to the competition in what promises to be an incredible showcase of basketball.
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