Rui Hachimura Articles - Page 4

Facing an NBA All-Star at the FIBA World Cup is not an easy feat. But, the Japanese National team, aptly named The Akatsuki, had the home energy at Okinawa to power them in upsetting Lauri Markkanen’s Finland. They had a four-headed monster on the court with Keisei Tominaga, Makoto Hiejima, Yuki Kawamura, and Joshua Hawkinson. […]

Los Angeles Lakers fans will be stoked to see LeBron James and Rui Hachimura working out together ahead of a big 2023 campaign. If Rui Hachimura can perform like he did during the 2023 NBA Playoffs for the Lakers next season, LeBron James and all of Los Angeles will be thrilled. Rui Hachimura getting shots […]

In preparation for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe had his first training session with the Japanese men’s national basketball team this year around on Sunday, per Mainichi Japan. The 28-year-old should have a major role for Team Japan when the tournament begins on Aug. 25. In fact, Watanabe is “expected […]

The Los Angeles Lakers took care of business in NBA free agency. This included the signing Rui Hachimura on a new deal that came out to $51 million for three years. Hachimura played a key role for LA’s surge in the second half of the season, and the front office made sure that they were […]

The Los Angeles Lakers took significant steps to solidify their depth on the first day of the 2023 NBA free agency period, agreeing to contracts with Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, and Cam Reddish. The Lakers’ 2023-24 roster currently sits at 10 players (not counting two-ways): the four aforementioned additions, plus LeBron James, Anthony […]

The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed restricted free agent Rui Hachimura to a 3-year, $51 million contract. Hachimura and Austin Reaves were the Lakers’ top offseason priorities. Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has stressed the importance of establishing continuity heading into next season. In February, he characterized the Lakers’ trade […]

NBA free agency officially starts on Saturday, July 6, but teams, agents, and players can start negotiating contracts and agreeing to deals — which Woj, Shams, and Windhorst will break — at 6 pm ET on Friday, June 30. As the Los Angeles Lakers enter what could be their “Last Dance” with LeBron James and […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are going to face some critical personnel decisions once NBA free agency officially opens on Friday. The futures of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are perhaps the most significant issues they have to deal with at the moment, with both players emerging as potential flight risks for LA via free agency. […]

Rui Hachimura is one of the biggest names on the market once NBA free agency opens on Friday. The Los Angeles Lakers want to keep the 25-year-old in LA following an eye-opening half-season, but they will likely face some stiff competition from opposing teams for Hachimura’s signature. For his part, Hachimura is focused solely on […]

Los Angeles Lakers’ free-agency will be crucial this offseason. The franchise is coming up to the end of its LeBron James, Anthony Davis window, and they need to make some moves for one last run. The team has Lakers’ free agents they need to re-sign, like Austin Reaves, and players they can target after the […]

Right now, Los Angeles Lakers fans are putting a lot of stock on Austin Reaves and his future with the team. With the 24-year-old set to enter NBA free agency this summer, LA supporters are waiting to see if Reaves will choose to remain with the Lakers or if he’s headed to greener pastures. At […]

Phil Handy, a player development guru and a key figure on Darvin Ham’s staff who works closely with LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura, said he’s returning to the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench next season. Handy was rumored to be a candidate to join Frank Vogel’s staff with the Phoenix Suns. Handy worked under […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura enters NBA free agency this summer, but he emphasized on Friday he was happy with his time in L.A. “The playoff run was pretty good,” Hachimura said on ESPN’s Hoop Streams. “I don’t know my future, but I just want to be somewhere I can be happy. The Lakers […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura came alive in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. This was a bit surprising to those who saw him cool off after a hot start with the Washington Wizards, trying to find his way in a rotation that added forwards Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert and all […]

Rui Hachimura stepped up big time for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 NBA Playoffs; he is now set up for a massive pay-day in free agency this summer. Although the Lakers plan on trying to retain Hachimura, it could get ‘dicey’ if another team offers him a contract that is just out of […]

The season didn’t end quite as planned for the Los Angeles Lakers, but then, unless you win the championship, when does it? Despite flaming out in ignominious fashion courtesy of the Denver Nuggets, they still demonstrated a terrific turnaround in the latter stages of the season, going from a team which was up against it […]

The Los Angeles Lakers certainly exceeded expectations during their 2023 NBA Playoffs run, but everything came to a screeching halt in the Western Conference Finals when they were swept by the Denver Nuggets. Now, the Lakers have some big questions to answer this offseason, with one of them being the future of Rui Hachimura. Hachimura […]

As the old adage goes, “when one door closes, another one opens”. This was the exact story of Rui Hachimura’s 2022-23 season. The Washington Wizards’ glut of forwards rendered Hachimura expendable in D.C., but here the Japanese international is, having emerged as one of the key members of the Los Angeles Lakers roster. He became […]

The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves on the brink of elimination from the NBA playoffs after dropping the first three games of the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets. That has led some to start talking about the Lakers’ offseason, one that is filled with lots of questions that seem to already have answers. […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are staring at the end of their season. They trail the Denver Nuggets 0-3 in the Western Conference Finals, coming up short despite making strong pushes in each game to take the victory. LA has gone to many different tactics to slow down Nikola Jokic and company and none of them […]

The Denver Nuggets may find themselves boasting a commanding 2-0 series lead in this year’s Western Conference Finals, but the Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves fighting throughout. Several individuals within Darvin Ham’s rotation have put forth valiant efforts through these first two contests played, and fourth-year pro, Rui Hachimura, has been the most recent […]

Rui Hachimura had another big game for the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. The 25-year-old exploded in the first half for 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting. He did well to keep the Lakers in this one, but ultimately, it was the Denver Nuggets who escaped with another hard-fought victory, 108-103, to secure […]

Rui Hachimura has been making all sorts of headlines of late. He played a key role yet again for the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets. Despite the fact that the Lakers ultimately lost, 108-103, Rui was a bright spot for LA, scoring 21 points off […]

Rui Hachimura played a key role for the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets. It was when the Lakers decided to match up Hachimura with Nikola Jokic that LA was able to mount a massive comeback to give themselves a chance to steal away Game 1 […]

Head coach Darvin Ham may be about to answer the desperate pleas of Los Angeles Lakers fans who were clamoring for forward Rui Hachimura to be in the starting lineup following LA’s Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Ham is considering starting Hachimura in Game 2, league sources told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. […]

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone believes too much is being made of the Lakers’ hyped adjustment on Nikola Jokic. Jokic put on a masterful performance as his 34-point, 21-rebound, 14-assist triple double helped the No. 1 seed to a 132-126 victory in Game 1 to take a 1-0 lead over the Lakers in the Western […]

The Los Angeles Lakers ran into a Denver Nuggets buzzsaw at the outset of the 2023 Western Conference Finals. They adjusted and fought back, but it wasn’t quite enough. The Nuggets prevailed, 132-126. For the first time in the NBA Playoffs, the Lakers failed to steal Game 1 on the road. Seeding aside, the Lakers […]

The NBA playoffs is almost always a competition between which team can make the necessary adjustments at the most opportune moments. Talent almost always wins out in the end, but matchups, coverages and rotation choices matter. This means that coaching matters. And it definitely seemed like Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham stumbled upon […]

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a tough Game 2 loss at the hands of the Golden State Warriors by a score of 127-100. The second half is where the Warriors dominated, and it led to one of the worst losses of the 2023 NBA Playoffs for the Lakers. However, one bright spot did continue, as […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves are an intriguing team to look at in the offseason. Minnesota made a big move last offseason to acquire Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. Gobert, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner, had a tough season with the Timberwolves. Gobert averaged 13.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks across […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a surprising 2-1 series lead in their first round playoff matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies as the No. 7 seed. But for all the talk of having LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the star of the show has arguably been Rui Hachimura who is appearing in the postseason for […]

It comes as no surprise that there has been a lot of back and forth between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies amid their NBA Playoffs first-round encounter. Dillon Brooks has once again taken the role of instigator, and he’s gone as far as firing direct shots at none other than LeBron James. […]

Rui Hachimura has accomplished something no one in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform has done since Magic Johnson. The former Gonzaga Bulldog became the franchise’s first to scorer 20-plus points in back-to-back playoff games off the bench since Magic Johnson did it in 1996. Hachimura lit up the FedExForum scoreboard en route to 20 points, […]

Rui Hachimura reminded everyone Sunday night that he is an integral piece of the Los Angeles Lakers. After he helped the Lakers score a 128-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on the road to take Game 1 of this NBA Playoffs series in the first round, Hachimura was also exposed by his teammate, big man […]

The Los Angeles Lakers took  a 1-0 series lead over the Memphis Grizzlies with a 128-112 win, and Rui Hachimura’s 29 points were a big part of it. Desmond Bane does not believe that Hachimura can replicate that performance, though. “It’s probably the best game of his career,” Bane said, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN. […]

If anyone had a bet going on which member of the Los Angeles Lakers would have an historic performance that would remind people of Magic Johnson, LeBron James or Anthony Davis would probably be the ones who get the most play. Sunday afternoon, Rui Hachimura said his name should be mentioned in the bets. In […]

A lot is on the line for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Tuesday’s all-important NBA Play-In Game. As such, it comes as no surprise that emotions were running high early in the contest. So much so, that Rui Hachimura and Anthony Edwards got involved in a bit of a scuffle […]

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura is finally getting comfortable with the team’s offense. But this should come as no surprise with the four-year pro given plenty of opportunity to make an impact as of late. Averaging 22.7 minutes per game in April, Hachimura saw his month-to-month usage rate go from 15.9 percent in March […]

The Portland Trail Blazers will have a couple of tasks to complete this offseason, primarily dealing with their frontcourt. Two of their primary rotation players, 23-year-old Cam Reddish and nine-year veteran Jerami Grant, are set to become free agents this offseason. With star guard Damian Lillard long making it clear that he wants to play […]