Los Angeles Lakers star Rui Hachimura returns to Japan’s extended squad for summer of international basketball
The Los Angeles Lakers star Rui Hachimura was named to Japan’s 53-strong provisional squad on Friday (1 May) for a summer full of international basketball.
It is unclear what this exactly means for Hachimura, Japan’s best player who has not been part of the national team set-up since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 28-year-old is currently thick in the middle of the NBA play-offs, starting and playing crucial minutes for the Lakers, who are up 3-2 in the first round series against the Houston Rockets. Should Los Angeles go deep into the post-season, it remains to be seen when Hachimura will become available – if at all.
In the months following the Olympics, Hachimura publicly criticised then head coach Tom Hovasse and the Japan Basketball Association, saying they were not up to world-class standards. Hovasse’s contract was not renewed earlier this year.
Japan have a packed schedule during the Northern Hemisphere summer period over the coming months, starting with the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying on 3 and 6 July against the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, respectively. They have two more qualifiers on 27 and 31 August.
Japan host friendlies (opponents to be confirmed) on 9-10 and 15-16 August, after which they will take part in the William Jones Cup at Chinese Taipei ahead of the 10-20 September Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan.
Joining Hachimura on the provisional list were star guard Yuki Kawamura, who spent this NBA season on a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls, as well as the league’s former player and wing, Yuta Watanabe.
