While baseball and football have long dominated Japan’s sporting world, a new passion has been gradually rising — basketball. Fun fact: in the history of the NBA, there’s only ever been six players to hoop on an NBA hardwood, with one of these players playing just four games.
It goes without saying that Japanese players don’t traditionally make it into the NBA, but that hasn’t stopped Japan NBA players from making quite the collective impact and inspiring their nation. Their success also reflects the growing impact of Asian NBA players on the league, with Japan continuing to produce talented NBA players from overseas who inspire the next generation.
These names deserve to be celebrated, and this article does just that. Here are the greatest Japanese players to step foot in the NBA
Rui Hachimura
NBA Ranking: #1037
The bar to becoming a Japanese legend in the NBA isn’t a high one. Yet, Rui Hachimura has done just enough to not only be the most accomplished and prominent Japanese player in NBA history but probably in the history of global basketball.
Hachimura has always been a serial winner, even at the youth level. Young Rui once led Meisei High School to three straight All-Japan High School Tournament titles. When he moved to the U.S., that winning spirit definitely made the trip with him. He committed to playing basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, as only the fifth Japanese-born men’s NCAA Division I player. Of course, he owned every court he stepped on, and even earned himself a spot on the All-WCC first-team.
Winning at college level was great, but soon, it was time to level up. So, what does he do? He decided to skip his final year of eligibility and declared for the 2019 NBA draft. That would turn out to be a great decision. The forward from Toyama made history when the Wizards selected him, making him the first Japanese-born player ever to be drafted in the first round. The dream wouldn’t end there. In his first NBA game, he dropped a double-double in a loss to Dallas.
After a great run of games at Washington, he was later traded to the Lakers. His great run didn’t end; Hachimura would become a vital rotation player and even dropped some great numbers in their playoff runs. So far, Hachimura averages 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.
Achievements/Resumé
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2020).
- First Japanese-born player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft (9th overall, 2019).
- Holds the record for most points scored in the NBA by a Japanese player.
- NBA Cup Champion (2023).
Yuta Watanabe
NBA Ranking: #2294
It would take a lot to carve out six whole seasons in the NBA. Yuta Watanabe did just that through the sort of hunger and defensive hustle no one saw coming from a Japanese player.
Watanabe’s journey to the NBA began in 2014, when he moved to the United States and committed to hooping for GWU. This made him the first Japanese-born male player to get an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. This record from pretty much anyone would mean it gets a lot easier from here. Unfortunately, that isn’t how Yuta’s story goes.
He went undrafted in 2018. Absolutely no one saw that coming, but that wouldn’t stop Yuta. The 6’9” forward eventually penned down a two-way contract with Memphis and their NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. And with that, began his NBA journey. He remained on the NBA roster for six great seasons, mainly with Toronto and the Nets. On December 14, 2019, he and Rui Hachimura became the first pair of Japanese players to share the hardwood in the NBA
In his time in the league, he dropped 895 points, 497 rebounds, and 137 assists.
Achievements/Resumé
- First Japanese-born player to secure an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship.
- Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year (2018).
- 2× Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team (2017, 2018).
Yuta Tabuse
NBA Ranking: #4715
Yuta Tabuse’s legacy and place on this list is defined by a single, monumental first. In 2004, the point guard took the court for the Phoenix Suns and became the first Japanese-born player to appear in an NBA regular-season game.
Nicknamed “The Micheal Jordan of Japan” during his high school days, Tabuse had been an icon for as long as anyone can remember. He led his school to three straight national championships. After leaving the Japanese B League in 2003, Tabuse came to the U.S., where he became the first Japanese national to play in the NBA’s summer league, playing six games in the Rocky Mountain Revue for the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13 minutes per game. His first attempt at hooping in the NBA made all the headlines in Japan. At that point, young Japanese players began to dream.
In 2004, Tabuse joined the Phoenix Suns’ training camp and made the opening night roster. In his first NBA game, he notched up seven points against Atlanta, becoming the first Japanese player ever to play in an NBA regular season game. Unfortunately, after just four games, he was waived by the Suns.
Achievements/Resumé
- First Japanese-born player to play in an NBA regular-season game (2004).
- 3× B.League Champion (2017, 2022, 2025).
- JBL Finals MVP (2010).
- JBL Champion (2010).
J.R. Sakuragi
NBA Ranking: #3724
J.R. Sakuragi holds a unique place in history as a bridge between cultures. You’ve now seen three different journeys that began in Japan and led to an NBA career. But what of a player starting out in the NBA and then moving to Japan to become a legend over there?
Sakuragi had a successful run playing college basketball at UCLA, and was even a member of that 1994-95 Bruins’ national championship team. On the NCAA championship team in his freshman year, Sakuragi was named the team’s most valuable freshman. In no time, the NBA came knocking and Sakuragi had to answer.
In the 1998 NBA draft, he was selected with the 56th pick by the Vancouver Grizzlies. He couldn’t recreate that successful collegiate run. He was in the NBA for only a single season, where he dropped 97 points before dipping to Japan. There, he became a Japanese citizen and became an important player for the Japanese national team and professional league. His dedication to Japanese basketball makes him just as important as other Japan basketball players in history.
Achievements/Resumé
- Drafted 56th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies.
- 3× JBL MVP (2011-2013).
- JBL Finals MVP (2013).
Nick Fazekas
NBA Ranking: #3674
Similar to J.R. Sakuragi, Nick Fazekas’s impact spans both the NBA and Japanese basketball. The American-born forward/center was a force to be reckoned with growing up. He attended Ralston Valley High School in Colorado, where he earned the statewide Mr. Basketball Colorado honor for the 2002–03 season.
When his college years came rolling by, Fazekas signed for the University of Nevada for the 2003–04 season. From that point forward, he led the Wolf Pack to four straight NCAA tournament appearances. If you think that was great, wait till you find out that Fazekas is the school’s all-time scorer. He surpassed the record set by Edgar Jones back in 1979.
That kind of offensive talent was definitely going to the NBA at some point. In 2007, the Dallas Mavericks bit and selected him with the 34th pick. He only spent a single season in the NBA, but that was only the start for Fazekas. With the end of his NBA career, came the start of his journey in Japan. He would later become a Japanese citizen and a dominant force in the B.League, also representing Japan’s national team. He might not have achieved a lot playing in the NBA, but he forged quite the legacy for himself in Japan.
Achievements/Resumé
- 2× B.League champion (2014, 2016).
- 3× B.League Player of the Year (2014, 2015, 2017).
- 2× B.League Finals MVP (2014, 2016).
- 5× All-B.League First Team (2014–2018).
- 4× B.League scoring leader (2013–2015, 2017).
Conclusion
Each of these athletes have added a crucial chapter to this story of Japanese players making the leap into the NBA. They’ve all shifted the narrative from “if” to “who could possibly be next.” The path has now been well-prepared for the next generation of Japan NBA players. So, who could possibly be next?
FAQs
Is there a Japanese player currently in the NBA?
As of the 2025-26 season, the Grizzlies’ Yuki Kawamura and Lakers’ Rui Hachimura are the only players representing Japan in the league.
Who is the most successful Japanese NBA player?
This would be Rui Hachimura. He’s the highest draft pick and has dropped the most career points out of all the Japanese NBA players.
