By SHUHEI NOMURA/ Staff Writer
April 20,アーセナル ポルト 2024 at 17:44 JST
Yuta Watanabe, right, hugs an Australian player at the Basketball World Cup held in 2023. (Shuhei Nomura)
National Basketball Association player Yuta Watanabe announced April 20 he will return to Japan next year to play in the professional B. League.
Watanabe, 29, played for the Memphis Grizzlies, which ended its season with a 27-55 record and missed the playoffs.
On his SNS account, Watanabe gave two reasons for his decision. He cited the lack of playing time this season and his sense of having fulfilled a personal pledge to do whatever it took to remain playing in the United States through his 20s.
After graduating from Jinsei Gakuen High School in Kagawa Prefecture, Watanabe spent the next 11 years playing in the United States. He graduated from George Washington University before becoming the second Japanese player to make it to the NBA.
Over six seasons, Watanabe bounced around among a number of teams, including the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns.
He said he would decide which B. League team to sign with in the coming months.
Watanabe helped the Japanese men’s team win a berth to the Paris Olympics to be held this summer.
It was the first time since the Montreal Games in 1976 for Japan to win a basketball berth at an Olympics on its own merit. It competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as host nation.
(责任编辑:集中)
J2秋田DF蜂須賀孝治が引退…第2のサッカー人生は選手発掘に興味「日の目を見ていない選手をプロの世界に入れたい」
王鵬が右目付近を骨折 秋場所中に負傷し今週手術へ 師匠の大嶽親方明かす 九州場所は出場意向
志村貴子&おざわゆきがJOUR初登場 、「#異世界オバサン」をテーマに読切描く
鈴木みのる、盟友・高山善廣のTAKAYAMANIA後の“変化”明かす「そこに手や足があると認識出来るように」
あるぞソフトバンク・石川とトリプルFA獲得 巨人が阪神・大山&ソフトバンク・甲斐獲りへ電撃アタックも 15日から交渉解禁
「さようなら竜生、こんにちは人生」最古の竜が人間に転生、“半人半蛇”の少女と出会う
B1仙台89ERS 新加入の福島出身・半沢凌太「結果を出すために来た」…5日・横浜BCと今季初戦
【凱旋門賞】シンエンペラー軽め最終追いで上昇確信、重い馬場むしろ歓迎
【マイルCS】悲願のG1初制覇を狙うフィアスプライドは4枠8番 国枝調教師「パッといい位置につけて…」
矢吹奈子 、上品な花柄ドレスでアイドル復活!「うるうるしちゃう」「めっちゃ輝いてる!」と反響