Yu Okada has spent nearly a decade now knocking down jump shots for a paycheck.
He was an integral part of the Takamatsu Five Arrows' remarkable run to a championship runnerup finish as a first-year franchise in the 2006-07 season, a recognizable fixture in the team's lineup for years before joining his hometown Shiga Lakestars in 2010. Two years later, he joined the Kyoto Hannaryz and helped the Kansai franchise earn back-to-back bj-league Final Four appearances.
Above all, Okada has been a vital component of three franchises' offense, but has always been an opportunistic defender whose speed and persistence have paid off — namely steals, lots of them. (He was No. 2 in the bj-league in steals at 2.3 per game during the 2009-10 season while playing in John Neumann's intense pressure-defense system.)