The Japan Basketball Association (JBA) released a list of 12 Japanese men’s basketball teams to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics on its official website on the 8th.
Yuki Kawamura (Yokohama), Josh Hawkinson (Shibuya), and Makoto Hiejima (Utsunomiya), who played as the main players in the exhibition match against Korea held on May 5 and 7, were all on board. Yudai Baba (Nagasaki), Keisei Tominaga (University of Nebraska), and Hirota Yoshii (Sanyen), who were constantly given time to play, are also on their way to Paris. NBA leaguers Rui Hachimura (Lakers) and Utah Watanabe (Memps), who did not play in the match between Korea and Japan, will also head to Paris. 메이저사이트
It is notable that Akira Jacobs of the University of Hawaii at the NCAA has been named in the final entry. Jacobs, who was born in 2004, is 203 centimeters tall and has outfield shooting capability. In the first game against Korea and Japan, he showed potential by scoring nine points and seven rebounds including three three-point shots, and in the second game, he showed possibility by scoring eight points and seven rebounds including two three-point shots.
Ren Kaneka (Chiba), Ryusei Sasaki (Sanen), Soichiro Inoue (Koshigaya), and Koya Kawamata (Nagasaki) among the 16 entries for the Korea-Japan match were eliminated. Kaneka failed to play in both the first and second games due to injury, while Sasaki, Inoue and Kawamata failed to show much presence.
Japan, which has secured 12 finalists, will depart for Europe and prepare for the Paris Olympics through warm-up matches with Finland and Germany. Hachimura, who missed the match between Korea and Japan, is also expected to play. Watanabe, who is currently recovering from a calf injury, will be able to decide whether to play or not depending on his physical condition.
At this year’s Olympics, Japan was in Group B along with France, Germany and Brazil. Realistically, it is not easy to pass the group qualifying round. However, he is unlikely to back down as he displayed potential at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup last year. Attention is focusing on whether Japan will be able to surprise the world again.