NBA Stars Hachimura and Kawamura Named to Japan's Summer Squad
Theo Asahi Shimbun
The Japan Basketball Association has announced a 53-man preliminary roster for summer activities, featuring NBA players Rui Hachimura and Yuki Kawamura. The list, which includes veteran Yuta Watanabe and young talent Keisei Tominaga, will be trimmed before official matches.
On April 1, the Japan Basketball Association unveiled a 53-man preliminary roster for national team activities scheduled from June to September 2025. Notably, the list includes two players currently competing in the NBA: forward Rui Hachimura of the Los Angeles Lakers and guard Yuki Kawamura of the Chicago Bulls.
Other seasoned names on the roster include Yuta Watanabe, a former NBA player now with the Ryukyu Golden Kings (B1), and Daiki Tanaka of the Alvark Tokyo, a key figure in Japan's squad at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Promising young talent Keisei Tominaga, currently playing for the University of Nebraska, is also included.
The presence of Hachimura and Kawamura leaves open the possibility they will take part in international friendlies and preparatory tournaments for Japan this summer. However, their actual participation depends on personal schedules and agreements with their respective clubs.
The 53-man list will be gradually trimmed before the team enters official matches. Japanese basketball is striving to maintain high performance after qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and calling up top names is a crucial step in preparation for upcoming goals.
