Hara Shuta, a player for the Chiba Jets Funabashi in the professional basketball league "B.League," will appear as a special guest on the event "Hagiwara Riku's First Appearance! NBA All-Star 2025 Just Before Special!", which will be live-streamed for free on WOWOW's official YouTube channel and WOWOW On Demand from 8pm on February 11th. He will also appear as a guest commentator on the 17th of February at the "NBA All-Star 2025" event, which will be held from February 15th to 17th. In a recent interview, Hara spoke about the highlights and notable players of this year's NBA All-Star, as well as his impressions of participating in the "B.LEAGUE All-STAR GAME 2025" held in his hometown of Funabashi in January.
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--This year's All-Star will be drafted by Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith, who will be appearing on the local broadcaster TNT, and the players will be divided into three teams. The tournament will be a new format in which these three teams and the winner of the "Rising Stars" (a tournament between teams consisting of young players in their first and second years in the NBA and G League players), for a total of four teams, will compete in the tournament. What are you paying attention to in this year's All-Star, including these points?
I think a tournament with four teams would be fun. All-Star games are difficult, and it's the same in Japan's B League, but it's hard to do it "seriously". I'm of the opinion that it can't be helped with such a hard schedule. However, fans still want a battle that's close to being serious. The NBA has been trying various things, and this year they came up with this format.
One of the four teams is from the Rising Stars, so I'm looking forward to seeing it if it wins. The other three NBA teams can't afford to lose. So, if the young players who have won from the Rising Stars give it their all, I think they'll be able to play a good game. I'm looking forward to it in that sense too.
--The format of the NBA All-Star game changes every year, so it must be difficult for the players.
It's going to be tough, but I understand the feelings of the players and the fans, so I think it would be interesting if the All-Star game was played in earnest to some extent. Also, I think the NBA is also trying to figure out what would be best by changing the format, while considering the risk of injury to players.
--Which players are you paying attention to at this year's All-Star game?
He's not an All-Star, but I like Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), so I'm keeping an eye on him. I don't think he's the type to show off, but I'd be happy if he did something. I'd like him to dunk.
--Karl-Anthony Towns from the Knicks was also selected.
I'm also very happy about that. I think it was good that he moved right after (from the Minnesota Timberwolves). Towns seems to have become more popular since the move, and he seems to fit in well with the Knicks, so it was good.
I've been with the Chiba Jets for about 10 years now, and I know how sad it is to see a player who has been in one place for one year disappear in a trade. However, Towns has been working hard since the transfer and has been producing results, so I'm keeping an eye on him.
Also, I'm looking forward to seeing LeBron (James, Los Angeles Lakers) because I don't know how many more times I'll be able to see him. I'd also like to see a "party guy" like Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal's nickname) from the past. I'm also happy that Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder) was selected, but he doesn't seem to be very captivating. I really want Branson to go all out as usual.
--Comparing the East and West players, it seems like the West has more veteran players who have been the face of the league for many years, such as LeBron, Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), and Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), than the East.
That's true. But there are fewer opportunities for these veterans to get together. I don't know if we'll be able to see them at the next Olympics, so I'd like to see them work together at the All-Star game.
--Victor Wenbanyama (San Antonio Spurs) is making his first All-Star appearance. He can do a lot of different things, so I'd like to see him show us something.
I want to see them do a lot of things. I think West players can do impressive dunks with a variety of combinations. (Denver Nuggets' Nikola) Jokic, LeBron, and Curry. I'd also like to see a showdown between Brunson and James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers). They're both left-handed, and they have strong isolation.
But I still want a man who can show off his talent. It doesn't have to be a dunker. For example, I want someone who can show off some interesting skills like Jason Williams, who was called "White Chocolate" (former Sacramento Kings player, who stood out for his tricky dribbling and passing). I have the impression that there are fewer and fewer people like that.
--Anthony Davis, who recently moved to the Dallas Mavericks in the trade of the century for Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers), will also be participating in the All-Star game.
On Sunday (February 2nd) in a game, I was matched up with Yokohama B-Corsairs' Filipino player, Kiefer Ravena, and during the free throws at the start of the second half, he told me, "Doncic and AD have been traded." I was like, "You're kidding me, right? It's fake news again, what do you believe?" After the game, I asked (teammate Togashi) Yuki, "Did you hear about the trade?" and he said, "I heard." So I looked at my phone and it was true. Dallas looks a bit interesting.
--Is there an NBA All-Star game from past tournaments that left an impression on you?
I remember when Shaq won the MVP, he made a pass between the legs of the opposing player, received the pass back and dunked it. I remember thinking, "This is what an All-Star is like" when I saw such a spectacular play.
--The 2009 All-Star game. You won the MVP together with Kobe Bryant (former Laker).
Also, there was the scene where LeBron and Kobe faced off. The match itself wasn't serious, but those kinds of touching scenes left an impression on me.
Aside from the game, the dunk contest was also memorable. Zach LaVine (Sacramento Kings) and Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets) appeared, and it was a long time since I've been in the mood. LaVine jumped from the free throw line and dunked while passing the ball between his legs.
--This year's All-Star Slam Dunk Contest will feature two-time defending champion Mac McClung (Orlando Magic), Stephen Castle (San Antonio Spurs), Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls), and Andre Jackson Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks).
I like Castle, so I'm rooting for him. I never thought he'd enter a dunk contest. I'd like to see some rare dunks. I was excited to see the dunks of Vince Carter (former Toronto Raptors) and LaVine in the past. Nate Robinson (former Knicks, 3-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner) was small (175 cm tall) but did some shocking dunks, and I'd like to see something like that. I'm looking forward to this year.
--Hara, you were selected for the B.League All-Star game for the first time in January. How did you feel about participating?
It was more fun than I expected. I had the impression that the All-Star game was difficult, such as "don't get injured," but our team (B.WHITE) had the desire to win while having fun (laughs). Because we worked hard with that motivation, we were able to go hard on defense. And above all, in my hometown of Funabashi, an arena was built on a place where there was nothing before, and during the All-Star game, not only the arena but also the nearby shopping malls watched the game at a public viewing. I was very moved and happy to see the whole city of Chiba Prefecture and Funabashi City excited.
--B.WHITE seemed highly motivated to win.
Ando Chika (Shimane Susanoo Magic) kept saying, "We're really going to win. Don't slack off," so I ran around with him at the head. I think Japan would be more exciting if they played a little harder. I wish they would think a little more about the reward when they win (laughs). It's hard to find a balance, but you have to weigh the risk of injury against playing seriously.
I'm sure LeBron said something about how the young players can work hard for the prize money because they don't have money during the in-season tournament. So I think the players who will be participating in the Rising Stars at this year's NBA All-Star will work really hard. And the NBA players can't lose to the young players. So I think it would be pretty interesting if a team from the Rising Stars wins.
-- Hara will be appearing on "Riku Hagiwara's First Appearance! NBA All-Star 2025 Pre-Special" on February 11th, and "Live Broadcast! NBA All-Star Game 2025" on the 17th. What are you looking forward to?
I love the NBA myself, so I'm really looking forward to talking to people who love the NBA, and I want the fans who watch to enjoy it because I enjoy it. There are some great people like Chris Sasaki who are knowledgeable, so I hope I can learn from them and have fun at the same time.
-- Hagiwara (Riku), who will be appearing in the special episode just before the show, is also known as an avid fan of the Warriors. What was it like working with Hagiwara?
I'd like to ask you about the Warriors. The only time I've ever watched an NBA game locally was a playoff game at Chase Center, which is also the venue for this All-Star game. I hope we can have a good time talking about the Warriors.
* "Hagiwara Riku's First Appearance! NBA All-Star 2025 Special!" will be streamed live for free on WOWOW's official YouTube channel and WOWOW on demand from 8pm on February 11th. Appearances include actor Hagiwara Riku, Hara, basketball analyst Sasaki Chris, and announcer Miyawaki Misaki.
*NBA All-Star 2025
・"Live Broadcast! NBA Rising Stars 2025" will be broadcast and streamed for free on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 10:50 a.m. on February 15. Commentary will be provided by Reo Onishi (NBA Japan Senior Editor), play-by-play will be provided by Yuji Kondo, special guest will be Hagiwara, and the host will be announcer Miyawaki.
・From 10:00 a.m. on the 16th, "NBA All-Star Saturday 2025" will be live streamed on WOWOW On Demand. Guest commentator will be Naoto Tsuji (B.LEAGUE Gunma Crane Thunders), commentator will be Kondo, special guest will be musician and actor Nobuaki Kaneko, and navigator will be Sotaro Nagasawa.
・The digest program "NBA All-Star Saturday 2025" will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 9:00 pm on the 16th. The navigator will be Ms. Nagasawa, and the host will be announcer Miyawaki.
・From 5:30 a.m. on the 17th, "Live Broadcast! NBA G League Up Next Game 2025 with Yuki Kawamura & Hiroki Tominaga" will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand. Commentary will be provided by Reo Onishi (NBA Japan Senior Editor), and the play-by-play will be provided by Daishi Tanaka.
・From 9:30 a.m. on the 17th, "Live Broadcast! NBA All-Star Game 2025" will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand. Guest commentator will be Hara, commentator will be Keijuro Matsui (B.LEAGUE Saitama Broncos), play-by-play will be Kondo, and host will be announcer Miyawaki.
