Rui Hachimura was the first Japanese to get drafted into the NBA. The black Samurai’s insane background. Rui Hachimura. Represented Japan at the world’s highest level, but it took miraculous things, and crazy stories led to the NBA that no one knows yet. 

Rui Hachimura Elementary 

Rui’s crazy story began in elementary school. Rui first started playing not basketball but baseball in Japan. And he was forced to play a catcher position because his throw was too fast for the elementary kids, and no one could catch his ball. 

Rui Hachimura Junior High School

During his junior high school year, Rui committed to track and field, 100M, and outruns others by breaking the new record. And this is just the beginning of the bigger and crazier story that will happen soon in his life. In the same year, in junior high school, the basketball coach saw his talent and begged him to come to join the team. With that effort, he convinced Rui to play basketball and kept telling him, “You are going to the NBA one day” to him. And later in the interview during the NBA draft, Rui even mentioned that he took the coach’s words seriously and believed in what he said to prove him right on the NBA Draft day. 

Rui Hachimura High School. 

His goal was always to play basketball in college in America. And every year, he won the championship and grabbed the gold trophy to prove to Japan that he was good enough to advance worldwide. 

Rui grabbed a chance to play at Gonzaga University to continue his basketball career and bring his goal closer. Rui mentioned that his personal trainer helped him a lot to improve. In the second year at Gonzaga, all that hard work paid off. He received MVP and won over Duke University, defeating Zion and other talented players 89-87. Prove to the world that Japan has a tough, talented player who can go against the world level. 

Interesting facts 

English

During the year at Gonzaga, Rui explained that the English language barrier was the most challenging. He could not speak English the first time he got to Gonzaga. Although he took English classes in Japan, it was way too far from speaking fluently and having a conversation with people casually. However, his intensive work effort and dedication to balancing practice basketball and learning English over the years at Gonzaga. He was not just a tutor but also studying English after the game or on the bus on the way to the games or practices. 

Hidden fashion behind the clothes on Draft day. 

Inside his suit is a tribute to both cultures. One side represents Japan, and the other side represents Benin. As well as the Japanese badge he has on his left chest

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