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Lakers News: LA Being Represented On Japanese National Team at Olympics

Sam Garcia

Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
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The 2020 Tokyo Olympics marked Japan’s first men’s basketball Olympic appearance since the 1976 Montreal Olympics where they finished in 11th place. Avoiding another hiatus, the Japanese National Team is headed to their second consecutive Olympics for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Head coach Tom Hovasse announced the Japanese National Team basketball 12-man squad on Monday, which included Lakers Rui Hachimura. The Lakers franchise shared the news of Hachimura’s second Olympic team selection via X on Thursday.

"I'm really looking forward to my second Olympics. I want to be able to show my teammates and everyone in Japan what I've learned up until now in the NBA,” Hachimura said at a Tokyo press conference, according to The Mainichi.

Hachimura completed his second season with the Lakers averaging 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and a 53.7% field goal percentage per game across 68 total games. The power forward's free throw percentage sits at 73.9% while his 3-point field goal percentage is 42.2%. Before joining Los Angeles in 2022, Hachimura played four seasons with the Washington Wizards.

Japan’s previous experience in international tournaments together gives them an advantage. The 12-man roster features eight returning players from the 2023 FIBA World Cup and seven returning players from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

Hachimura is joined by Pacers’ Keisei Tominaga and Grizzlies’ Yuta Watanabe as the trio of NBA players on the team. All three were featured on the 2020 Olympic roster and the 2023 FIBA World Cup roster. Yudai Baba, Yuki Togashi, Makoto Hiejima, and Hugh Watanabe are also returning players from the two international competitions.

The men’s basketball Olympic games will commence on July 27 and span through August 10. The Japanese National Team is scheduled to play the German National Team on July 27. You can find the rest of the schedule here.

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Sam Garcia

SAM GARCIA

Samantha Garcia is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Professional Writing. She is also a sports writer for the Daily Bruin at UCLA.

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