Nicknamed “Samurai Steph” and signed by Under Armour, Keisei Tominaga will not play for the Warriors. The Japanese point guard from Nebraska failed to convince scouts to draft him ten days ago, nor to offer him a “two-way contract”. On the other hand, the Pacers have decided to invite him to their training camp.
Selected to participate in the Paris Olympics, Keisei Tominaga averaged 11 points at the last World Cup, and is coming off a season averaging 15.1 points in the NCAA. He has made a name for himself, or rather a nickname, with his celebrations and his spectacular style, reminiscent of Stephen Curry.
Tested by the Pacers in 2023
“At first I didn't really notice it. I was just playing basketball.” he assures about this nickname. “But when I watched videos and highlights, I felt like I was trying to copy his style of play. I don't really think about it during games, but the more I watch highlights of Steph Curry, the more I play like him.”
A year ago, he had already entered the draft, and he had a tryout with the Pacers. At that time, Rick Carlisle's staff had given him some advice, before he began his final season at Nebraska.
“They told me to progress in creation” he reports. “It’s not just about shooting. That’s why I started working on those areas, especially offensively. I think it’s paid off. I still have a lot of things to improve on, but I’m getting closer to my dream. I’m just going to keep working harder and getting stronger. That’s all I have to do right now.”
