By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Japan is a nation of islanders. Swimming and diving are second nature to everyone who grew up in the “Land of the Rising Sun”.
And this second nature translated quite literally on the court for Japan’s star in the FIBA World Cup 2023 Yuta Watanabe.
You can’t deny his talent and his ability to shoot, which pretty much helped him establish himself in the NBA.
On the other hand, his defensive prowess was always his ticket to the big stage.
That’s why diving on the floor for a loose ball, is not beneath him, despite being named “the Chosen One” by the Japan Times during his teenage years.
Diving for the ball or diving in the pool?
Yuta Watanabe got the answer 💦 #NothingElseMatters #WinForAll #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/CXZNLdQRjP
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) August 15, 2023
And after all, becoming a swimmer in his case, would be a huge waste of basketball talent and grit.
Watanabe learned to play the game in Japan but he was simply too good for the local competition. He graduated high school in the States, he played for George Washington University, and here’s where defense comes along.
He was the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and despite not getting drafted, the Memphis Grizzlies took a chance on him. He then moved in 2020 to the Toronto Raptors and started the 2022-23 season with a bang in the Brooklyn Nets, before getting traded to Phoenix.
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Contrary to the international players’ stereotype, his defense became his calling card, and together with his ability to knock down long-range shots, Watanabe is considered a solid NBA player.
After all, in November of 2022, Watanabe led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage, proving beyond any doubt that he belongs.
And now, he must dive into even deeper waters. With Rui Hatchimura absent in the tournament, Watanabe needs to step up and become the leader of a Japanese team that, as hosts, wants to present something noteworthy in the World Cup.
It’s not going to be easy in a group that also includes Germany, Finland and Australia, but considering how Watanabe in the States was always an underdog that made a habit of proving the competition wrong, nobody can underestimate him and his teammates.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL