Yuta Tabuse got 10 minutes of playing time in his NBA debut Wednesday, scoring seven points and dealing out an assist in the Phoenix Suns' season opener against the Atlanta Hawks.
Yuta Tabuse of the Phoenix Suns makes a pass during his NBA debut Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Tabuse becamethe first Japanese ever to play in the NBA.
Tabuse, who on Monday became the first Japanese player to make an NBA roster, came off the bench in the fourth quarter and hit a three-pointer for his first successful field goal as the Suns went on to win 112-82 at America West Arena.
The 24-year-old Tabuse also went 4-for-4 from the foul line and missed a reverse layup, while the starters, including leading scorer Amare Stoudemire, rested for much of the second half.
"I still have a lot to learn and I'm going to work hard on the basics at practice," Tabuse said.
"I made a lot of mistakes, but being able to play today gave me a confidence boost," he said.
The 173-cm point guard signed a one-year deal with the Suns in September and appeared in four of their eight preseason games.