Yuki Kawamura has made a name for himself in the NBA. The Bulls, with whom he played in the Summer League, have signed the small Japanese point guard to a two-way contract that will allow him to alternate between the historic franchise’s first team and its G League affiliate. With the former, he will only be able to play a maximum of 50 games and none in the playoffs, unless his contract is transformed into a standard one.
That’s what the 24-year-old point guard, one of the shortest players to play in an NBA game, is aiming for. At 1.73 meters, there have only been 12 players shorter than him in the entire history of the competition. This physical deficit is compensated by his electricity, speed and passing ability, which makes him an exciting player and a fan favorite.
During last year’s preseason, he convinced the Grizzlies to have another two-way contract. He made his NBA debut and played in 22 games, but only in one of them did he play more than 10 minutes. Every time he got up from the bench to take the court, the FedEx Forum fans went wild.
He reciprocated the affection with doses of his attractive way of understanding basketball that allowed him to distribute: he averaged 4.2 minutes, 1.6 points and 0.9 assists. He did have more prominence with the Memphis Hustle of the G League: 12.7 points, 8.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.7 minutes.
Loved by fans and teammates
He is also well-liked in the locker room. The day he scored his first point in the NBA, all his teammates signed the ball and he took it home as a souvenir for his parents. They, knowing their son’s passion for basketball, always encouraged him to play despite the difficulties that his short stature might entail.
This summer he tried again to make the leap to the NBA through the Bulls. He has succeeded, for the moment with that two-way contract, thanks to his good performances in the Summer League. Kawamura played five Summer League games, averaging 10.2 points, 6.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 2.0 three-pointers on 41.7% shooting. He scored 15 points and 10 assists against the Pacers and 20+10 with 6/9 three-pointers against the Jazz in the last game.
Kawamura shot to worldwide basketball fame during the Paris Games. There he coincided on court with Victor Wembanyama, who at 2.24m is more than half a metre taller than him. The two starred in viral images but, far from being intimidated by the giant, the Japanese point guard was the protagonist of the scare that the hosts took, who went on to become Olympic runners-up. He scored 29 points with six three-pointers, seven rebounds and six assists in his team’s 94-90 overtime defeat.
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