Yuta Watanabe not distracted by rising profile in Japan
Yuta Watanabe has certainly become a basketball celebrity in Japan, having become the second-ever player from the country to play in the NBA this season. But the youngster's celebrity seems to keep growing. Since Watanabe, who signed a two-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies in July, ...
Yuta Watanabe makes positive impact as a rookie
Yuta Watanabe's blue-collar work ethic and perpetual desire to improve were defining characteristics of his rookie season. Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies and the team's NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, Watanabe made positive impressions throughout the long season. The bulk of his playing time ...
Memphis Hustle rookie Yuta Watanabe shines as fill-in point guard
Yuta Watanabe's rookie season provided another memorable chapter on Wednesday. In a season of steady production for the NBA G League's Memphis Hustle with some time also spent on the parent club (Memphis Grizzlies), Watanabe has been getting acclimated to the pro game at a ...
Orimo continues to speak mind about Japan
Legendary star player Takehiko Orimo has always been brutally honest and outspoken about Japanese basketball, and his stance on the Akatsuki Five is no different. The Japanese men's national team will face Iran and Qatar on Thursday and Sunday, respectively, with a ticket to the ...
Japan squad set for big challenges
The players and staff seemed relaxed. That is a good indication of their state of mind as they get into the final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. The provisional Japanese men's national team began its final training camp on Tuesday before its ...
Grizzlies' Yuta Watanabe sets new career high with 10 points in loss to Thunder
Memphis Grizzlies guard Yuta Watanabe scored an NBA career-high 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 117-95 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. The 24-year-old rookie shot 3 of 8 from the field and sank all four of his free-throw attempts in ...
Yuta Watanabe has career night in Grizzlies' victory over Timberwolves
Mike Conley had 25 points and nine assists in possibly his last game for Memphis, and the Grizzlies beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-106 on Tuesday night on Justin Holiday's two free throws with one-tenth of a second remaining. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 23 points for ...
Japan prepares for crucial FIBA World Cup qualifiers at Iran, Qatar
With a significant pair of wins during the previous window of the Asian qualifiers in Toyama late last year, the Akatsuki Five got much closer to clinching a berth for this summer's FIBA World Cup finals in China. But Julio Lamas, the Japan men's national ...
Rookie Yuta Watanabe displays potential while playing major minutes in NBA G League
Rookie Yuta Watanabe has exhibited veteran poise throughout his first season as a pro basketball player. With a two-way contract that splits his time between the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League, there's been no shortage of opportunities for the ...
UNC Wilmington's Kai Toews bursts onto scene as dynamic passer in freshman season
As a college freshman, Kai Toews has quickly become a player to pay attention to. The University of North Carolina Wilmington point guard is one of the elite passers in all of NCAA Division I basketball (351 institutions). The Tokyo native is averaging 7.7 assists through ...
Rockets' James Harden rebounds from woeful shooting game, drops 57 on Grizzlies in rout
After scoring a season-high 57 points in Houston's win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, James Harden was asked how he was able to put Sunday's loss to Orlando, when he went 1-for-17 from 3-point range, behind him so quickly. "I went 1-for 17? ...
Anthony Davis had little to say about his latest dunk-filled scoring outburst. He even shrugged off his seldom-seen "Shammgod" crossover dribble that stunned the Grizzlies, delighted the crowd and set up his thunderous driving dunk. The Pelicans' perennial All-Star was more eager to highlight an ...
