Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors speaks to the media at practice in Tokyo, Japan, September … [+]
The NBA has returned to Japan for the first time since 2019, with the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards coming to the country for their first time to represent the league.
The Warriors, as current title holders with one of the NBA’s top superstars in Steph Curry, and the Wizards, whose roster features Japan’s own Rui Hachimura, are fitting choices as ambassadors to Japan for the league and the sport of basketball.
“It’s been amazing,” Hachimura said when asked at practice about the opportunity to share his homeland with his team. “I get to show my country to my teammates, you know? How it’s a different culture, like different people, great food, all kinds of stuff, to show where I grew up to my teammates, the players, the staff, and all the people. So it’s a great thing.”
A day ahead of the first of two games between the Wizards and Warriors, practices for both teams were held at the Minato Ward Sports Center in Tokyo, where players and coaches answered questions about their excitement in coming to Japan, the significance and of the cultural exchanges taking place, and of course, a good share of the usual NBA training camp themes.
“It’s early in training camp, so I’m not feeling too much pressure for the players to be in regular season shape,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr explained. “So we’re looking at this as an extension of the training camp and an opportunity to get our work in, but also really enjoy our time here in Japan.”
Asked what he’d like to do while he’s here, Kerr answered, “I’d personally like to eat sushi. That’s what I’m excited about. But I love this country… The people are so welcoming, they’re such amazing hosts.”
Curry, who said that this was his third time to come to Japan, was asked about his expectations for what people would get out of the NBA events this time around. “Understanding why we’re all here,” he replied. “Because everybody loves sports… Especially when it comes to basketball, it’s a universal game, and we have the privilege of playing at the highest level.”
“Anytime you can go outside of the US, go internationally and come to Japan and enjoy the way that the game has grown here, all the demands and stuff become a great experience that you remember,” Curry added. “You just have to have that perspective. It’s fun, you just enjoy every minute of it, and we’re blessed to have the opportunity to come here and play basketball.”
Japanese NBA fans wait for a glimpse of their favorite players outside the Minato Ward Sports … [+]
In terms of the basketball itself, asked about the positives of holding training camp in Japan, Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. replied that “It’s a great opportunity for bonding.”
“Traditional camp is usually in your home market,” Unseld said. “To have this opportunity to get away kind of pulls guys together in a sense.”
Kerr echoed similar sentiments. “It’s great for our players to bond and get to know each other well,” he said. “And that definitely happens on a long trip like this.”
Later that evening, a reception was held at the ANA Intercontinental Hotel, where the NBA officially began the festivities by celebrating the league’s return to Japan after three years, and its corporate partnerships which have been instrumental in bringing NBA basketball back here.
NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum expressed the NBA’s excitement in his speech at the reception.
“You know, this is our first time playing international games in over two years,” he said. “And I can’t think of a better matchup to play here in Tokyo than between the reigning world champion Golden State Warriors, and the Washington Wizards featuring Rui Hachimura, Kyle Kuzma, Bradley Beal, and all the great players on that team.”
“Basketball shows a tremendous momentum here in Japan in terms of growth,” Tatum explained, “and these games are just going to continue that momentum.”
The event featured speeches from executives with Rakuten and Nissan, the NBA’s official presenting partners for the Japan Games, as well as NEC, which sponsored the reception.
Honors were paid to NBA legends Richard Hamilton, Tim Hardaway and Dikembe Mutombo, who will participate in the NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 on the day between the two regular preseason games, were in attendance, and the night was capped off with brief comments from Kuzma and the Warriors’ Andre Iguodala.
Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards and Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors share the stage … [+]
All of this, however, was just the warm up for the main events, the two games to be played on Friday and Sunday, and as excited as the NBA players, coaches and staff are to be both ambassadors for the league and travelers in Japan , they still have to focus on the work at hand.
When it comes to the balance between simply enjoying spending time in Japan while also keeping a focus on basketball, Curry explained, “Being a tourist is an amazing thing, I’ve had some amazing experiences.”
“So it’s a different experience coming here for training camp and trying to work on getting better and getting ready for the season,” he added, “but also enjoying the fact that we’re here. When practice starts, we’re locked in on what we need to do there, and everything else is about having fun.”
.