Yuta Watanabe has only been with Japan’s Olympic squad for a few days, but he has already impressed fans in his home country with the skills he has honed in the NBA. His talent was on display during an exhibition game against Hungary, which Japan won 79-58 in Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday.
The Toronto Raptors forward was in the starting lineup for the Akatsuki Five and did not need much time to get going. He nailed a 3-pointer and went coast-to-coast for a dunk within the first few minutes of the game, and remained active and aggressive on both ends of the floor.
“In order to give us a chance to win on the global level, I know I have to be a central player and be more responsible,” Watanabe said. “My role on this team will be very different from what I do for the Raptors.