Before the overhyped Y2K scare at the end of the last century and the technological breakthroughs of the 21st century, the Vancouver Grizzlies selected a former UCLA Bruins forward named J.R. Henderson in the second round of the 1998 NBA Draft.

The Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, in 2001, the same year the long-limbed forward made his debut with the Aisin SeaHorses of the now-disbanded JBL.

For the majority of the years since then, he has been employed by the SeaHorses, including continuously since 2007, when he became a naturalized citizen known as J.R. Sakuragi.