With Yuki Kawamura, the Japanese are fully behind the Grizzlies

His performance made it possible to flood the Japanese versions or Indonesian NBA social networks. By signing 10 points (4/5 on shots including 2/3 from distance) – his career best – 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 11 minutes on the Thunder floor, Yuki Kawamura did not fail to make people talk about him.

And too bad if he only came into play in the 4th quarter, when the gap was already flirting with 30 units. His production in garbage time, including a new blind pass that he seems to love, was even enough to attract the attention of the superstar opposite, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “ He's a very good basketball player. He is very talented, he knows how to play despite his size. If you have a feeling for the game, you can play no matter what “, “SGA” note.

Demanded by opposing fans!

While it is frequently requested by the public (“We want Yuki”), including outsidethe pocket playmaker had only come into play for sequences of a few minutes until now. In OKC, the 23-year-old, who alternates with G-League matches, played almost an entire quarter for the first time. Even if it was again in the context of a match that had become meaningless.

His popularity, born on the Parisian Olympic scene where he shone more individually than collectively, is such that the Grizzlies, despite their “small” market, generate international attention.

“ He has this personality. It's a global game, the way fans perceive all levels of basketball… It's cool to see how our fans have received it, how fans of away teams have received it. It's really cool to see “, likes Taylor Jenkins.

Thanks to their leader, the Grizzlies have completely supplanted the Warriors and the Lakers, where Rui Hachimura plays, as the NBA team most followed by Japanese viewers. At the beginning of December, according to Commercial Appealthey were ranked No. 1 in average viewership on NBA Rakuten, the way most Japanese fans follow the game.

A frustrating year despite everything

“ The NBA and basketball in general are enjoying considerable momentum in Japan, and domestic players like Yuki are attracting increased interest from new and existing fans across the country », Confirms the boss of NBA Japan, Kazu Watanabe. By extension, this Asian attention is likely to facilitate access to the All-Star Game for Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr, driven by the vote of international fans.

Among the Grizzlies, however, there is no question of reducing the presence of Yuki Kawamura to a media phenomenon who is noted for his complicity with Ja Morant. “ The way he plays matches our style. This is what we see all over the world, internationally. That's the concept of the team: five guys playing together, very interchangeable, in constant movement. This is what appealed to us when we tested it », Reframes Taylor Jenkins.

For his part, when taking stock of his year, Yuki Kawamura is much more nuanced. “ As far as getting a two-way contract to play in the NBA, it was great. But looking back, it was also a year of frustration », blurts the player, taken over by a Japanese agencybefore finishing: “ I hope 2025 will be a year in which I feel like I've grown even more. »

How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.