The Japan Basketball Association have released their extended 16-man lineup for men's basketball for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Akatsuki Japan have revealed their extended 16-man lineup for men’s basketball.
Headlining the team is NBA forward Rui Hachimura, who will make his national team return for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics should he confirm to play for Paris 2024.
Hachimura led the team in scoring in Tokyo, averaging 22.3 points per game. Rui is coming off his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he went for 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
Nine players from Japan’s 2023 FIBA World Cup team are in the extended Olympic lineup, led by former B.League MVP’s Yuki Kawamura, Yuki Togashi, and Makoto Hiejima.
Naturalized center Josh Hawkinson is also on the lineup, as well as Yuta Watanabe, Yudai Baba, Keisei Tominaga, Soichiro Inoue, and Koya Kawamata.
Other members of the pool are Kai Toews, Ren Kanechika, Ryusei Sasaki, Hugh Watanabe, Hirotaka Yoshii, and 20-year-old Akira Jacobs from the University of Hawaii.
Japan is in Group B in the Olympics, alongside host France, reigning world champion Germany, and the winner from the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia.
Story Summary:
- Akatsuki Japan unveil their 16-man basketball roster for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
- Rui Hachimura, the team’s top scorer from the Tokyo Olympics, joins a squad featuring nine players from Japan's 2023 FIBA World Cup team.
- The Japan team also features naturalized center Josh Hawkinson and promises strong competition in Group B alongside France, Germany, and another team from the FIBA OQT.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]