Rui Hachimura
Hachimura with the Washington Wizards in 2022
No. 28 – Los Angeles Lakers
PositionPower forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1998-02-08) February 8, 1998
Toyama, Japan
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High schoolMeisei (Sendai, Japan)
CollegeGonzaga (2016–2019)
NBA draft2019: 1st round, 9th overall pick
Selected by the Washington Wizards
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2023Washington Wizards
2023–presentLos Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Japan
FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Iran Japan

Rui Hachimura (Japanese: 八村 塁, Hepburn: Hachimura Rui, born February 8, 1998) is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and has played for the Japan national team. 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

Hachimura with Meisei High School in 2016

Hachimura was born in Toyama Prefecture in Japan to a Japanese mother, Makiko (麻紀子) and Beninese father, Zakari Jabil. His given name, Rui (塁), 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, Allen (阿蓮, Aren), played basketball at Tokai University and as of the 2023-24 B.League season plays for the Gunma Crane Thunders.[4][5][6] In his childhood, he played baseball as a catcher and pitcher.[7] 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.[7] In 2014, he helped his team win the tournament for a second straight year.[8] In April 2015, Hachimura was invited to the Jordan Brand Classic, where he recorded nine points and five rebounds in the International Game.[9][10]

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.[11][12] 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.[13]

Despite signing with Gonzaga in the early signing period for 2016, Hachimura's eligibility to play college basketball was called into question.[14] 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.[15] In February 2016, Hachimura claimed to understand 80 percent of English but speak only 30–40 percent of it.[16] By April 2016, Hachimura was still studying for the SAT to gain entrance to college.[17][18] 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.[19]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Rui Hachimura
SF/PF		 Toyama, Japan Meisei 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Nov 20, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NR   Rivals: NR  247Sports: #136  ESPN: NR
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Gonzaga Rivals Commits". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  • "2016 Gonzaga Scout Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  • "2016 Gonzaga ESPN Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  • "2016 Gonzaga 24/7 Sports Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved November 20, 2015.

College career

Hachimura made his regular season debut for the Gonzaga Bulldogs on November 11, 2016,[20] against Utah Valley, recording one point and three rebounds in four minutes.[21] As a result, he became the fifth Japanese-born player to ever play NCAA Division I basketball.[22] On December 1, he scored a season-high 10 points in 13 minutes in a 97–63 win over Mississippi Valley State.[23] Hachimura scored eight points on February 23, 2017, against San Diego, helping his team win the West Coast Conference (WCC) title.[24][25] 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.[26] 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.[27]

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.[28]

Coming into his junior season, Hachimura was named to the Preseason All-WCC Team.[29] He opened the regular season on November 6, 2018 by scoring 33 points in a 120–79 win over Idaho State.[30] 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.[31] Subsequently, he was named most valuable player of the tournament.[32] Hachimura was selected the 2019 WCC Player of the Year.[33] He led Gonzaga in scoring (19.7 points per game) during the 2018-19 season and also averaged 6.5 rebounds a contest.[34]

Professional career

Washington Wizards (2019–2023)

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,[35] 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, who was drafted 171st overall in the 1981 NBA draft, and also the first Japanese player ever taken in the first round.[36] 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.[37] 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.[38]

In December 2019, he and Yuta Watanabe of the Memphis Grizzlies became the first pair of Japanese players to face each other in the NBA.[39] Hachimura suffered a groin injury against the Detroit Pistons on December 16 and had surgery and missed several games.[40] On February 19, 2020, Bleacher Report named Hachimura the worst defensive power forward in the NBA.[41]

On September 15, 2020, Hachimura was named to the second-team NBA All-Rookie Team.[42]

On March 30, 2021, Hachimura tied his career high of 30 points in a 104–114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.[43] On May 23, he made his playoff debut during the first round, recording 12 points and five rebounds in a 118–125 Game 1 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.[44] On May 31, Hachimura logged 20 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in a 122–114 Game 4 win.[45] The Wizards ended up losing the series in five games.

On September 25, 2021, the Wizards announced that Hachimura had been excused from the start of training camp due to personal reasons.[46] He made his season debut on January 9, 2022, recording six points and three rebounds in a 102–100 win over the Orlando Magic.[47] 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.[48] This represented a slight dip in his career averages. However, his three-point shooting improved dramatically: Hachimura's 44.7 percent rate was second only to Luke Kennard (44.9 percent) among NBA players with at least 100 attempts.[49]

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.[50]

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.[51] Hachimura made his Lakers debut two days later, recording 12 points and six rebounds in a 113–104 win over the San Antonio Spurs.[52]

In the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Hachimura was a vital part of the Lakers rotation on both ends of the court. He scored 29 points in his Lakers post-season debut to lead the team to a first-round Game 1 victory over the No. 2-seeded Memphis Grizzlies, and in the Western Conference Finals, was frequently given the defensive assignment of guarding Denver's offensive juggernaut Nikola Jokic, allowing LA's defensive linchpin Anthony Davis more freedom to roam the court as a help defender.

On July 6, 2023, Hachimura re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.[53] On December 9, 2023, Hachimura and the Lakers won the inaugural season of the NBA In-Season Tournament (also known as the NBA Cup).[54]

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,[55] guiding his team to a third-place finish.[56] In April 2014, he played the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany with Japan's under 18 national team,[57][58] finishing in last place.[59]

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.[60] 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.[61][26] 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.[62]

Senior national team

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.[63]

Hachimura scored a game high 34 points in a loss to Slovenia during the preliminary round of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Hachimura was called up for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but ultimately withdrew on June 27th citing exhaustion from the NBA season and playoffs, in which his team had made the Western Conference Finals, and the need to prepare for the following NBA season.[64]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Washington 484830.1.466.287.8296.11.8.8.213.5
2020–21 Washington 575731.5.478.328.7705.51.4.8.113.8
2021–22 Washington 421322.5.491.447.6973.81.1.5.211.3
2022–23 Washington 30024.3.488.337.7594.31.2.4.413.0
2022–23 L.A. Lakers 33922.4.485.296.7214.7.7.2.411.2
Career 21012726.9.480.347.7705.01.3.6.212.5

Play-in

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021 Washington 2221.0.769.6671.0003.01.0.0.513.0
2023 L.A. Lakers 1026.6.375.4001.0002.01.0.0.012.0
Career 2222.9.619.5001.0002.71.0.0.312.7

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021 Washington 5534.6.617.600.5837.21.0.4.214.8
2023 L.A. Lakers 16124.3.557.487.8823.6.6.5.312.2
Career 21626.7.573.519.8044.5.7.5.212.8

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016–17 Gonzaga 2804.6.528.286.5421.4.1.2.12.6
2017–18 Gonzaga 37220.7.568.192.7954.7.6.5.511.6
2018–19 Gonzaga 373730.2.591.417.7396.51.5.9.719.7
Career 1023919.7.579.316.7464.4.8.6.512.1

See also

References

  1. ↑ "https://twitter.com/home". Twitter. Retrieved July 1, 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  2. ↑ "Rui Hachimura". Gonzaga University Athletics. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  3. ↑ Woodburn, Peter (March 19, 2019). "Rui Hachimura named Naismith Player of the Year finalist". The Slipper Still Fits. SB Nation. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Rui Hachimura's profile". FIBA. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  5. ↑ Mandel, Stewart (March 30, 2017). "Japan will be watching the Final Four just to see this guy you probably don't know". Fox Sports. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Gunma Crane Thunders Roster". Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Nagatsuka, Kaz (December 29, 2013). "Hachimura powers Meisei High to Winter Cup title". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  8. ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (December 25, 2015). "Hachimura guides Meisei High to impressive victory in Winter Cup opener". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  9. ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (June 22, 2015). "Future looking bright for Japanese men's basketball". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Jordan Brand Classic Box Score International Game" (PDF). Jordan Brand Classic. April 17, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  11. ↑ Borzello, Jeff (January 31, 2015). "The next wave of international prospects". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  12. ↑ "MBB Signs Hachimura to National Letter of Intent". Gonzaga University Athletics. November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  13. ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (December 29, 2015). "Hachimura lifts Meisei High to Winter Cup three-peat". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  14. ↑ Meehan, Jim (November 20, 2015). "Zags sign Japanese forward Rui Hachimura". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Next international wave will set up Zags for a while, says GU's Lloyd". heinnews.com. December 9, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  16. ↑ "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.
  17. ↑ Konaga, Yoshinaga (April 11, 2016). "Rui Hachimura talks about high school graduation and future goals in the United States, A New Journey". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  18. ↑ @heinnews (March 28, 2016). "Questions still for Rui Hachimura if he'll pass tests to get into Gonzaga. Hopefully he's hitting books hard instead of coming to #AST2016" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (May 11, 2016). "Hachimura cleared to enroll at Gonzaga". The Japan Times. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  20. ↑ Medcalf, Myron (November 16, 2018). "The education of Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura". ESPN. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Nov 11, 2016 - Utah Valley 69, Gonzaga 92". RealGM. November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  22. ↑ Meehan, Jim (November 11, 2017). "Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura at the center of Japanese media's attention". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  23. ↑ "No. 8 Gonzaga breezes past Mississippi Valley State 97-63". Gonzaga University Athletics. December 1, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Feb 23, 2017 - Gonzaga 96, San Diego 38". RealGM. February 23, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Top-ranked MBB Remains Perfect, Beats San Diego 96-38". Gonzaga University Athletics. February 24, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  26. 1 2 Mandel, Stewart (March 30, 2017). "Japan will be watching the Final Four just to see this guy you probably don't know". Fox Sports. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Season Box Score". gozags.com. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  28. ↑ "2017-18 Gonzaga Men's Basketball Season Box Score". gozags.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Gonzaga picked to Win 2018-19 Men's Basketball Championship". West Coast Conference. October 18, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Rui Hachimura scores 33 to help No. 3 Gonzaga rout Idaho State". The Japan Times. November 7, 2018. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  31. ↑ Hall, Jason (November 21, 2018). "No. 3 Gonzaga upsets No. 1 Duke, 89-87, in Maui Invitational championship". Newsweek. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  32. ↑ Meehan, Jim (November 22, 2018). "Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura, Zach Norvell Jr. selected to Maui All-Tournament team". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  33. ↑ "WCC Announces 2018-19 Men's Basketball All-Conference". West Coast Conference. March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  34. ↑ "2018-19 Gonzaga Men's Basketball: Season Box Score". static.gozags.com. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  35. ↑ Jones, Kaelen (April 15, 2019). "Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura Declares for NBA Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  36. ↑ Caron, Emily (June 20, 2019). "2019 NBA draft: Rui Hachimura is first Japanese-born player drafted". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 20, 2019 – via SI.com.
  37. ↑ "Doncic-Porzingis debut carries Mavs past Wizards, 108-100". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Clippers blow out undermanned Wizards 150-125". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 1, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  39. ↑ Buckner, Candace (December 15, 2019). "For Wizards' Rui Hachimura, Memphis trip brings a pair of special reunions". Washington Post. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Wizards' Rui Hachimura (groin) to be reevaluated in two weeks". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  41. ↑ Buckley, Zach (February 19, 2020). "Exposing the NBA's Worst Defender at Every Position". Bleacher Report.
  42. ↑ "Ja Morant, Zion Williamsom headline 2019-20 Kia All-Rookie First Team". NBA.com. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  43. ↑ "ROZIER SCORES 27 POINTS, LEADS HORNETS PAST WIZARDS 114-104". NBA.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  44. ↑ "HARRIS SCORES 37, LEADS 76ERS PAST WIZARDS 125-118 IN GAME 1". NBA.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  45. ↑ "EMBIID LEAVES WITH SORE KNEE, 76ERS LOSE TO WIZARDS 122-114". NBA.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Wizards forward Rui Hachimura to miss start of training camp". NBA.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  47. ↑ "KUZMA'S 22 BOARDS LIFT WIZARDS OVER MAGIC 102-100". NBA.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Rui Hachimura Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  49. ↑ "How sustainable is Hachimura's 3-point shooting?".
  50. ↑ "HACHIMURA SCORES 30 TO LEAD WIZARDS OVER MAGIC 138-118". NBA.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Los Angeles Lakers Acquire Rui Hachimura". NBA.com. January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  52. ↑ "Davis scores 21 points in return as Lakers defeat Spurs". ESPN. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  53. ↑ "Los Angeles Lakers Re-Sign Rui Hachimura". NBA.com. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  54. ↑ "Lakers take NBA Cup as AD explodes for 41-20". ESPN.com. December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  55. ↑ "Rui Hachimura profile, FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Men 2013 | FIBA.COM". FIBA.COM. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  56. ↑ "Schedule & results | 2013 FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Men | ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM". www.fiba.com. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  57. ↑ "Cheeseball alert at 2014 Albert Schweitzer Tournament". FIBA.com. April 24, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  58. ↑ "AST 2014 Japan « Deutscher Basketball Bund". www.basketball-bund.de. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  59. ↑ "game stats / standings « Deutscher Basketball Bund". www.basketball-bund.de. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  60. ↑ "Rui HACHIMURA at the Players of the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men - FIBA.com". FIBA.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  61. ↑ "United States of America v Japan - 12 Aug - FIBA.com". FIBA.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  62. ↑ "Japon at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017 - FIBA.basketball". FIBA.basketball (in French). Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  63. ↑ Dauster, Rob (September 18, 2018). "Rui Hachimura scores 25 as Japan upsets Iran in World Cup qualifier". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  64. ↑ Kano, Shintaro. "Japan's Rui Hachimura passes on FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023". Olympic Games. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
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