On October 25th, 2024, 23-year-old Japanese professional basketball player Yuki Kawamura made his official debut in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Memphis Grizzlies after playing a few preseason games. Making him the 4th ever Japanese player to play in the NBA, after Yuta Tabuse (2004), Yuta Watanabe (2018), and Rui Hachimura (2019).
Yuki Kawamura was born in Yamaguchi, Japan in 2001. He led his high school team to back-to-back national championships. Kawamura then made his debut in the B-League at 18 years old, making him the youngest player in history to ever play in the league. He played for the San-en NeoPhoenix and Yokohama B-Corsairs before heading to the United States to play in the NBA.
Kawamura stands at 5 feet 8 inches, or around 172 centimeters tall. He is the shortest player currently active in the NBA, while his new teammate, Canadian center Zach Edey, the tallest active player in the league, stands at 7 feet 4 inches, or 224 centimeters.
Basketball in Japan has been rising in popularity rapidly over recent years, the Japanese National Team almost defeated the French National Team (the silver medalists of the 2024 Olympics), but unfortunately lost in overtime due to a controversial call. There are many Japanese prospects training and playing overseas right now. For example, Keisei Tominaga, arguably the best shooter in Japan, is currently playing in the NBA G League.
