Washington Wizards ninth overall pick Rui Hachimura has had plenty of cameras and mics darting his way since being drafted out of Gonzaga last month. The 21-year-old Japan native has had this large a following since his college days, but the coverage has boomed exponentially since he became the first Japanese player to be drafted in the first round and the second-ever Japanese-born players to be drafted into the NBA after Yasutaka Okayama.
The spotlight has been a common theme for the 6-foot-8 wing, who now has had that following move from the Pacific Northwest to the nation's capital, where national and Japanese outlets follow his every move.
“It’s been like this since high school,” Hachimura said, according to Zach Rosen of Wizards.com. “I expected it to be like this. I can’t even imagine how crazy it is right now in Japan. It means a lot, for me, my family, and my country. It’s just a big thing for us – drafted in the first round and going to the NBA.”
It didn't take long for Hachimura's face to appear in the front page of many newspapers in his hometown of Toyama, who have followed his career ever since he embarked on a mission to come to the States and carve himself a career in professional basketball.
“It’s been crazy,” he said. “After I got drafted, and even before, everything changed. More people recognized me when I walk outside. More media. But I’m glad I joined a great organization like the Wizards.”
Hachimura initially committed to Gonzaga in 2016 during the early signing period, but his adaptation came into question, as he needed a better linguistic and cultural grasp before joining the Division I school. Months later, Hachimura passed the SAT test and met the GPA requirements to play his freshman season instead of redshirting.
After two seasons with the Bulldogs, his big break would come in his junior year, where he started all 37 games, posting 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting a formidable 59.1% from the floor and 41.7% from deep as the team's best player.
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