Members of the press wearing the jerseys of the players they cover cause some eyebrows to be raised in the United States. A man with a video camera on his shoulder and filming footage with his smartphone, barely getting any attention.
It was a warm and welcoming home to Japan’s greatest export of basketball.
Hachimura — the progenitor — was in his hometown when the Wizards arrived Wednesday before preseason games against the Golden State Warriors, which are scheduled to be played at Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Friday and Sunday nights. I’m back in Japan.
For the first time since Hachimura returned to Japan raised his country’s flag Exactly one year ago, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. As the press indicated, these games are different from what he played a year ago as Japan continues to lift pandemic measures.
The press corps Hachimura faced at the Summer Olympics wasn’t half the size of Thursday’s contingent, with the two-meter distance between athletes and the press shrunk to just inches in the era of the pandemic. Fans are in the stands for Friday’s tip-off at the NBA’s first showcase in Japan since Toronto and Houston faced off in 2019.
“It reminds me of when I was drafted,” Hachimura said. “It’s been a long time since I felt like this.”
Despite his newfound familiarity with camera lenses, Hachimura distances himself from fans in Japan for much of his brief stay with the Wizards.
This contrasts with Washington’s 2013 trip to Rio de Janeiro with Nene. host a clinic Interact with all the fans packed into the crowded gym. In Japan, Washington has two games and two practices he has to pack into his four days on the field. So Thursday morning, a trip to Tokyo Tower for a wholesome photo shoot was one of the few non-dining outings the team had planned for him.
Not having time to talk face-to-face might be a good thing for Hachimura.
It will be a year since the 24-year-old returned to Japan. news broke Hachimura will miss part of last season for mental health purposes and burnout after years of non-stop basketball between varsity duties, college balls and the NBA. .
After emerging as a flag-bearer in Tokyo, Hachimura said that despite many being the first Japanese player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft to serve as the face of the country, many were proud of it. Faced with a rash of ugly racist comments on Japanese social media. Four-time Grand Slam tennis champion and equally biracial Naomi Osaka faced. similar harassment After lighting the Olympic cauldron, he lost in a surprise upset in his third-round match.
Withers followed Hachimura in talking about his leave as a mental health respite without specifically mentioning the racism he faces, acknowledging the potential for overexposure on this week’s road trip. At a press conference last week, Wizards president and general manager Tommy Shepard said Hachimura was able to complete many of his sponsorship duties before the team arrived in Japan, allowing the forward to focus on basketball. He said that it became like this.
Even with the streamlined schedule, Hachimura has a big role to play. He is his NBA ambassador in Japan and his de facto tour guide for his teammates. This guy seems to enjoy two jobs.
“I can imagine it means a lot,” Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said earlier this week. “As well as the opportunity to be the face of our franchise while we’re on the ground, he’ll also be able to take the lead in some of the player-only experiences and team-bonding experiences.”
Hachimura has answered questions from his teammates about foods to try, where to shop (no matter how tight your schedule is, there’s always time to shop), and the nuances of Japanese culture. The Japan men’s national team coach and general manager were in attendance for Thursday’s practice.Hachimura said six or seven family members will be able to see him play in person this weekend.
“Japanese basketball is getting bigger year by year. You can feel it,” says Hachimura. “It’s not just basketball, it’s the whole athlete, and the sport is getting bigger and bigger. I feel.”
Hachimura is not the only draw in Japan. He spent the most time in front of reporters — he was the only player who spoke both English and Japanese — and he shared parts of the stage with Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. I am delighted to have shared with
Curry met Suga, the Korean pop megastar of the mega-popular group BTS, during Warriors practice. Thompson playfully attempted to bring down another respected visitor, the legendary sumo wrestler Sho Hakuhō. A small group of fans waited outside the Minato Sports Center for the Warriors to finish practice. One of them had his 2019 memoir of Andrei Gudala.
However, only Hachimura bears respect and responsibility as a national figurehead. No matter how many people in the crowd wore jerseys with his last name on them.
“I’ve wanted to since I was a kid. Finally, I’m actually coming back to my country, my country, to play against the Warriors,” he said. “It feels crazy. It sure feels great.”
