Washington Wizards superstar John Wall made sure that Rui Hachimura would feel very welcome after the rookie was selected in the 2019 NBA Draft on Thursday.
The Wizards used the ninth pick on Thursday's draft to acquire Hachimura. Wall immediately welcomed his new teammate, as the Wizards revealed the superstar point guard talked to the former Gonzaga standout after the draft through FaceTime.
.@JohnWall FaceTimed @rui_8mura mid-photoshoot! ⭐️🇯🇵 #DCFamily pic.twitter.com/wzNpxnUQy4
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) June 21, 2019
Hachimura became the first Japanese-born player to be selected in the first round of an NBA Draft. There were mixed reactions when he was selected inside the top 10 because he was projected by many to land late in the opening round. However, Jay Bilas of ESPN heaped praises for the 6-foot-8 Hachimura.
“He’s a terrific pull-up jump shooter,” Bilas said of Hachimura via the New York Times. “I think Hachimura has got a very high ceiling. I rank him 11th overall in this draft among prospects. He’s a very, very talented player.”
The 21-year-old forward spent three seasons in Gonzaga, where he made a huge impact in his junior season. In 37 games in the past season, the Toyama, Japan native posted 19.7 points on an impressive 59.1 percent clip from the field. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
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