 Hachimura with the Lakers in 2023. | |
| No. 28 – Los Angeles Lakers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Power Forward |
| League: | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 8, 1998 Toyama, Japan |
| Nationality: |  Japanese
|
| Physical stats | |
| Listed height: | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight: | 230 lbs (104 kg) |
| National Basketball Association career | |
| Debut: 2019 for the Washington Wizards | |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Meisei (Sendai, Japan) |
| College: | Gonzaga (2016–2019) |
| NBA Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th |
| Selected by the Washington Wizards | |
| Playing career: | 2019–present (5 years) |
| Career history | |
| 2019–2023 | Washington Wizards |
| 2023–present | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Rui Hachimura (born February 8, 1998) is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and is a member of the Japanese national team. Listed at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and 230 lbs (104 kg),[1] he plays both the small forward and power forward positions.[2] After being selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA draft, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.
Born in Toyama Prefecture, Hachimura achieved success at the youth level in Japan, leading Meisei High School to three straight All-Japan High School Tournament titles and being a top player for the Japanese under-17 and under-19 national teams in FIBA competition. He joined Gonzaga in 2016 as the fifth Japanese-born men's NCAA Division I player and in 2017 became the first Japanese national to play in the NCAA Division I men's tournament. As a sophomore, he earned first-team All-WCC honors. He was named a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year.[3]
Early life and career[]
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Hachimura with Meisei High School in 2016
Hachimura was born in Toyama Prefecture in Japan to a Japanese mother, Makiko and Beninese father, Zakari Jabil. His given name, Rui, means "base" or "fortress" in Japanese; the name was given to him by his grandfather because he was a big fan of baseball (the character 塁 is also used for "base" in context of baseball). His surname is from his mother's family register. He has three younger siblings, one brother, and two sisters. Hachimura's younger brother, Aren, is a basketball player at Tokai University in Japan.[4][5] In his childhood, he played baseball as a catcher and pitcher.[6] On December 29, 2013, Hachimura led the Meisei High School basketball team to its second title in the All-Japan High School Tournament, scoring 32 points in a 92–78 win over Fukuoka University Ohori.[6] In 2014, he helped his team win the tournament for a second straight year.[7] In April 2015, Hachimura was invited to the Jordan Brand Classic, where he recorded nine points and five rebounds in the International Game.[8][9]
On November 21, 2015, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the US, being considered by ESPN as one of the best international players entering college.[10][11] On December 29, 2015, Hachimura posted 34 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks to guide Meisei past Tsuchiura Nihon University High School for his third All-Japan Tournament victory.[12]
Despite signing with Gonzaga in the early signing period for 2016, Hachimura's eligibility to play college basketball was called into question.[13] The concerns were that he needed to acclimate better culturally and linguistically to the US and would potentially need to attend a prep school before entering Gonzaga or redshirting if eligible.[14] In February 2016, Hachimura claimed to understand 80 percent of English but speak only 30–40 percent of it.[15] By April 2016, Hachimura was still studying for the SAT to gain entrance to college.[16][17] In May 2016, Hachimura announced that he met the SAT and GPA requirements to be eligible to play at Gonzaga beginning as early as fall 2016. He planned to play as a true freshman and did not redshirt his first year.[18]
College career[]
Hachimura made his regular season debut for the Gonzaga Bulldogs on November 11, 2016,[19] against Utah Valley, recording one point and three rebounds in four minutes.[20] As a result, he became the fifth Japanese-born player to ever play NCAA Division I basketball.[21] On December 1, he scored a season-high 10 points in 13 minutes in a 97–63 win over Mississippi Valley State.[22] Hachimura scored eight points on February 23, 2017, against San Diego, helping his team win the West Coast Conference (WCC) title.[23][24] On March 16, 2017, after playing one minute against South Dakota State, he became the first Japanese native to ever appear in the NCAA Division I men's tournament.[25] Through 28 games as a freshman, Hachimura averaged 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 53 percent from the field in 4.6 minutes per game.[26]
In the 2017–18 campaign, Hachimura appeared in 37 games for Gonzaga, including two starts, averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.[27]
Coming into his junior season, Hachimura was named to the Preseason All-WCC Team.[28] He opened the regular season on November 6, 2018 by scoring 33 points in a 120–79 win over Idaho State.[29] On November 21, 2018, Hachimura recorded 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists to help upset No. 1-ranked Duke in the Maui Invitational finals.[30] Subsequently, he was named most valuable player of the tournament.[31] Hachimura was selected the 2019 WCC Player of the Year.[32] He led Gonzaga in scoring (19.7 points per game) during the 2018-19 season and also averaged 6.5 rebounds a contest.[33]
Professional career[]
Washington Wizards (2019–2023)[]
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In 2020 with Yuta Watanabe of the Toronto Raptors
On April 15, 2019, Hachimura announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declared for the 2019 NBA draft,[34] where he was drafted ninth overall by the Washington Wizards. Hachimura was the second Japanese-born player to be drafted into the NBA after Yasutaka Okayama, and also the first Japanese player ever taken in the first round.[35] On October 23, 2019, Hachimura made his NBA debut, posting a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) as a starter in a 100–108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[36] On December 1, 2019, Hachimura scored a career-high 30 points in a 125–150 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers along with nine rebounds, three assists and a steal.[37]
In December of that year, he and Yuta Watanabe of the Memphis Grizzlies became the first pair of Japanese players to face each other in the NBA.[38]
Hachimura suffered a groin injury against the Detroit Pistons on December 16 and had surgery and missed several games.[39] On September 15, 2020, Hachimura was named to the second-team NBA All-Rookie Team.[40]
During the 2021-22 NBA season, Hachimura played 42 games while averaging 11.3 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, and 1.1 assists per game.[41] This represented a slight dip in his career averages. However, his three-point shooting improved dramatically: Hachimura's 44.7% rate was second only to Luke Kennard (44.9%) among NBA players with at least 100 attempts.[42]
On January 21, 2023, in his last game before being traded, Hachimura recorded a career-high-tying 30 points, alongside five rebounds and two blocks, in a 138–118 win over the Orlando Magic.
Los Angeles Lakers (2023–present)[]
On January 23, 2023, Hachimura was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks. Hachimura made his Lakers debut two days later, recording 12 points and six rebounds in a 113–104 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
On July 6, 2023, Hachimura re-signed with the Lakers.
National team career[]
Junior national team[]
Hachimura represents Japan internationally. At the 2013 FIBA Asia U16 Championship in Iran, he averaged 22.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks through eight contests,[43] guiding his team to a third-place finish.[44] In April 2014, he played the Albert-Schweitzer-Tournament in Germany with Japan's under 18 national team,[45][46] finishing in last place.[47]
Japan finished the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championships 14th of 16 teams, with Hachimura scoring a tournament-high 22.6 points per game, while pulling down 6.6 rebounds and blocking 1.7 shots per contest.[48] During the tournament, he scored 25 points on the USA team that went on to win the title; that team included four players who were chosen in the 2017 NBA draft—Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, Caleb Swanigan, and Ivan Rabb—plus other future college stars such as Diamond Stone and Malik Newman.[49][25]
Hachimura competed for Japan in the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, averaging team-bests 20.6 points and 11.0 rebounds a contest.[50]
Senior national team[]
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Hachimura after a 2019 FIBA World Cup qualification game with Japan
In a qualification round for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Hachimura scored 25 points to help Japan defeat Iran 70-56.[51]
Hachimura scored a game high 34 points in a loss to Slovenia during the preliminary round of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
- ↑ "Rui Hachimura". National Basketball Association. https://www.nba.com/players/rui/hachimura/1629060.
- ↑ "Rui Hachimura". Gonzaga University Athletics. https://gozags.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2524.
- ↑ Woodburn, Peter (March 19, 2019). "Rui Hachimura named Naismith Player of the Year finalist". SB Nation. https://www.slipperstillfits.com/2019/3/19/18272778/naismith-player-of-the-year-finalist-rui-hachimura.
- ↑ "Rui Hachimura's profile". FIBA. https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/110364/sid/13204/tid/309/tid2//_/2017_FIBA_U19_Basketball_World_Cup/index.html.
- ↑ Mandel, Stewart (March 30, 2017). "Japan will be watching the Final Four just to see this guy you probably don't know". Fox Sports. https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/gonzaga-rui-hachimura-ncaa-tournament-final-four-japan-033017.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nagatsuka, Kaz (December 29, 2013). "Hachimura powers Meisei High to Winter Cup title". https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/12/29/basketball/hachimura-powers-meisei-high-to-winter-cup-title/#.W-b095NKjIU.
- ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (December 25, 2015). "Hachimura guides Meisei High to impressive victory in Winter Cup opener". https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2015/12/25/basketball/hachimura-guides-meisei-high-to-impressive-victory-in-winter-cup-opener/#.W-b4iJNKjIU.
- ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (June 22, 2015). "Future looking bright for Japanese men's basketball". https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2015/06/22/basketball/future-looking-bright-japanese-mens-basketball/#.W-b2lJNKjIU.
- ↑ "Jordan Brand Classic Box Score International Game". [[wikipedia:Jordan Brand Classic|]]. April 17, 2015. http://jordanbrandclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Box-Score-International-Game.pdf.
- ↑ Borzello, Jeff (January 31, 2015). "The next wave of international prospects". http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbrecruiting/on-the-trail/insider/post?id=12808.
- ↑ "MBB Signs Hachimura to National Letter of Intent". Gonzaga University Athletics. November 21, 2015. https://gozags.com/news/2015/11/21/MBB_Signs_Hachimura_to_National_Letter_of_Intent.aspx.
- ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (December 29, 2015). "Hachimura lifts Meisei High to Winter Cup three-peat". https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2015/12/29/basketball/hachimura-lifts-meisei-high-winter-cup-three-peat/#.W-b2HZNKjIU.
- ↑ Meehan, Jim (November 20, 2015). "Zags sign Japanese forward Rui Hachimura". http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/nov/20/zags-sign-japanese-forward-rui-hachimura/.
- ↑ "Next international wave will set up Zags for a while, says GU's Lloyd". December 9, 2015. http://www.heinnews.com/basketball/nba/next-international-wave-will-set-up-zags-for-a-while-says-gus-lloyd/.
- ↑ "Talking afterwards to Rui Hachimura (1998 Japan) he says he understands 80% of English, can only talk about 30-40% though. Finals in March". February 13, 2016. https://twitter.com/heinnews/status/698588173815959556.
- ↑ Konaga, Yoshinaga (April 11, 2016). "Rui Hachimura talks about high school graduation and future goals in the United States, A New Journey" (in en-JP). http://sports.yahoo.co.jp/column/detail/201604080006-spnavi.
- ↑ Template:Cite tweet
- ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (May 11, 2016). "Hachimura cleared to enroll at Gonzaga". http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/05/11/basketball/hachimura-cleared-to-enroll-at-gonzaga/#.VzNEH4QrLIW.
- ↑ Medcalf, Myron (November 16, 2018). "The education of Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura". ESPN. http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/25288415/the-education-gonzaga-rui-hachimura.
- ↑ "Nov 11, 2016 - Utah Valley 69, Gonzaga 92". RealGM. November 11, 2016. https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/boxscore/2016-11-11/Utah-Valley-at-Gonzaga/248588.
- ↑ Meehan, Jim (November 11, 2017). "Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura at the center of Japanese media's attention". http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/nov/11/gonzaga-forward-rui-hachimura-at-the-center-of-jap/.
- ↑ "No. 8 Gonzaga breezes past Mississippi Valley State 97-63". Gonzaga University Athletics. December 1, 2016. https://gozags.com/news/2016/12/1/No_8_Gonzaga_breezes_past_Mississippi_Valley_State_97_63.aspx.
- ↑ "Feb 23, 2017 - Gonzaga 96, San Diego 38". RealGM. February 23, 2017. https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/boxscore/2017-02-23/Gonzaga-at-San-Diego/248609.
- ↑ "Top-ranked MBB Remains Perfect, Beats San Diego 96-38". Gonzaga University Athletics. February 24, 2017. https://gozags.com/news/2017/2/23/Top_ranked_MBB_Remains_Perfect_Beats_San_Diego_96_38.aspx.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Mandel, Stewart (March 30, 2017). "Japan will be watching the Final Four just to see this guy you probably don't know". Fox Sports. http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/gonzaga-rui-hachimura-ncaa-tournament-final-four-japan-033017.
- ↑ "Season Box Score". http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2016-2017/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND.
- ↑ "2017-18 Gonzaga Men's Basketball Season Box Score". http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2017-2018/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND.
- ↑ "Gonzaga picked to Win 2018-19 Men's Basketball Championship". [[wikipedia:West Coast Conference|]]. October 18, 2018. https://wccsports.com/news/2018/10/18/mens-basketball-wcc-unveils-2018-19-preseason-poll-all-wcc-team.aspx.
- ↑ "Rui Hachimura scores 33 to help No. 3 Gonzaga rout Idaho State". November 7, 2018. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2018/11/07/basketball/rui-hachimura-scores-33-help-no-3-gonzaga-rout-idaho-state/#.W_cvKuhKjIU.
- ↑ Hall, Jason (November 21, 2018). "No. 3 Gonzaga upsets No. 1 Duke, 89-87, in Maui Invitational championship". https://www.newsweek.com/no-3-gonzaga-upsets-no-1-duke-89-87-1227173.
- ↑ Meehan, Jim (November 22, 2018). "Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura, Zach Norvell Jr. selected to Maui All-Tournament team". http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/nov/22/gonzagas-rui-hachimura-zach-norvell-jr-selected-to/.
- ↑ "WCC Announces 2018-19 Men's Basketball All-Conference". West Coast Conference. March 5, 2019. https://wccsports.com/news/2019/3/5/wcc-announces-2018-19-mens-basketball-all-conference-team.aspx.
- ↑ "2018-19 Gonzaga Men's Basketball: Season Box Score". https://static.gozags.com/custompages/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2018-2019/teamcume.htm#TEAM.IND.
- ↑ Jones, Kaelen (April 15, 2019). "Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura Declares for NBA Draft". Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2019/04/15/rui-hachimura-gonzaga-declares-nba-draft.
- ↑ Caron, Emily (June 20, 2019). "2019 NBA draft: Rui Hachimura is first Japanese-born player drafted". Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/nba/2019/06/20/gonzaga-rui-hachimura-first-japanese-born-player-drafted.
- ↑ "Doncic-Porzingis debut carries Mavs past Wizards, 108-100". October 23, 2019. https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401160631.
- ↑ "Clippers blow out undermanned Wizards 150-125". December 1, 2019. https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401160934.
- ↑ Buckner, Candace (December 15, 2019). "For Wizards' Rui Hachimura, Memphis trip brings a pair of special reunions". Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/15/wizards-rui-hachimura-memphis-trip-brings-pair-special-reunions/.
- ↑ "Wizards' Rui Hachimura (groin) to be reevaluated in two weeks". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 5, 2020. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28423519/wizards-rui-hachimura-groin-reevaluated-two-weeks.
- ↑ "Ja Morant, Zion Williamsom headline 2019-20 Kia All-Rookie First Team". https://www.nba.com/article/2020/09/15/nba-2019-20-all-rookie-first-team-official-release.
- ↑ "Rui Hachimura Stats" (in en). https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hachiru01.html.
- ↑ "How sustainable is Hachimura's 3-point shooting?". https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/how-sustainable-rui-hachimuras-improvement-3-point-shooter.
- ↑ "Rui Hachimura profile, FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Men 2013 | FIBA.COM". https://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/110364/sid/6577/tid/309/_/2013_FIBA_Asia_U16_Championship_for_Men/index.html.
- ↑ "Schedule & results | 2013 FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Men | ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM". https://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/event/p/pid/110364/sid/6577/tid/309/_/2013_FIBA_Asia_U16_Championship_for_Men/schedule.html.
- ↑ "Cheeseball alert at 2014 Albert Schweitzer Tournament". April 24, 2014. http://www.fiba.com/news/Cheeseball-alert-at-2014-Albert-Schweitzer-Tournament.
- ↑ "AST 2014 Japan « Deutscher Basketball Bund". http://www.basketball-bund.de/ligen-ergebnisse/albert-schweitzer-turnier/ast-2014-teams/ast-2014-japan.
- ↑ "game stats / standings « Deutscher Basketball Bund". http://www.basketball-bund.de/ligen-ergebnisse/albert-schweitzer-turnier/game-stats.
- ↑ "Rui HACHIMURA at the Players of the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men - FIBA.com". http://www.fiba.com/world/u17/2014/Rui-HACHIMURA.
- ↑ "United States of America v Japan - 12 Aug - FIBA.com". http://www.fiba.com/world/u17/2014/1208/USA-Japan#%7Ctab=boxscore_statistics.
- ↑ "Japon at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017 - FIBA.basketball" (in fr). http://www.fiba.basketball/fr/world/u19/2017/Japan.
- ↑ Dauster, Rob (September 18, 2018). "Rui Hachimura scores 25 as Japan upsets Iran in World Cup qualifier". NBC Sports. https://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2018/09/18/rui-hachimura-scores-25-as-japan-upsets-iran-in-world-cup-qualifier/.