WOWOW, which broadcasts the US professional basketball "NBA" live, will broadcast and stream "Live Broadcast! NBA G League Up Next Game 2025 with Yuki Kawamura & Hiroki Tominaga" (G League All-Star Game) live from 5:30 am on February 17th. Yuki Kawamura, who signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, and Hiroki Tominaga, who signed an Xzibit 10 contract with the Indiana Mad Ants, are scheduled to participate.
Prior to the match, Akira Rikukawa, the coach of the Tokai University basketball team where Kawamura played for two years and whom Kawamura regards as his mentor, and who also serves as a commentator for WOWOW NBA, spoke about Kawamura's growth, his appeal, and his current achievements.
--I think many people didn't expect him to perform so well in his first year in America. What do you think, Rikukawa-san?
His strength and his "character" is that he clearly defines his own problems, clears them all, and then moves on to the next step. Even when he goes to America, he is not intimidated and has his sights set on his goal. That's why he is getting the right answers (results) in the G League. He was originally good at assists, but he has also overcome the 3-point shots that people around him said were a problem. The other day he made seven 3-pointers in one game. Even when watching his 3-pointers, his shots are quick and the arch is completely different. He practices a lot, and I think he is thinking about what he needs to do to clear his problems while also being creative. His ability to think and put things into practice is amazing.
--Since you directly coach Kawamura, your level of surprise may be different from that of most people.
I think it's because of him that he can do it. He understands what the head coach and manager want from him, and what the team wants from him, and he puts it into practice. Even in places where he could show more of his own style, he prioritizes that. Within that, he challenges himself to address his shortcomings and what he needs. Once he clears them, he moves on to the next step. I saw the word "giant leap" in a book. He sets a very high goal, challenges his limits, and once he clears them, he repeats the "leap" to the next stage. I feel that he is that kind of player.
-What is your impression of the Grizzlies, the team with which Kawamura has signed?
It's a good team. Everyone likes Yuki, and Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) also supports Yuki as if he were his brother. With Yuki's addition, Morant has settled down, the team has become a family, and the ranking has improved dramatically (currently 35 wins and 17 losses, second place overall in the Western Conference). I think there may be a "Yuki effect" (laughs).
-What kind of performance do you expect from Kawamura at the NBA G League UpNext Game 2025?
I think it will be an up-tempo game when he plays, and that is what everyone is looking forward to. I think the fans are captivated by Yuki's up-tempo game and his spectacular no-look pass assists. In addition to that, I would like to see him not only make the most of those around him, but also score when he has the chance. The other day, he made a deep three from a considerable distance. I hope he will think of this as an opportunity to show his strength in winning a real NBA contract.
--The All-Star game is a festival, but for Kawamura, who is aiming to improve even further, in a sense it's also an important match to demonstrate his abilities.
In our time, Kobe Bryant (former Los Angeles Lakers) and Michael Jordan (former Chicago Bulls, etc.) were playing, and everyone was serious even in the All-Star game. I think it's good to have the attitude of "I won't lose in a one-on-one match" and show yourself off. So, I want Yuki to do it with the intention of winning the MVP of the "NBA G League Up Next Game 2025".
--It seems that Kawamura is showing off his no-look passing skills, as Rikukawa mentioned earlier, quite a bit in America too.
It's entertainment, after all, and I think he knows how to please the audience. Old guards like Magic Johnson (former Los Angeles Lakers) and John Stockton (former Utah Jazz) were known for their assists, and I loved them too. Gradually, guards who were all about scoring became mainstream. So, conversely, Yuki might be "old style." His style of taking advantage of those around him and scoring points as a team to gain momentum is nostalgic, and I think it makes everyone want to cheer him on. Also, he's 172 cm tall and has been doing such a great job without any problems, so everyone looks up to him and children can have dreams about him. I think it's the same for people in Japan and America.
--The reason you're popular among American fans is probably because they find your "old style" refreshing.
Yes. Plus, I think there's his humanity. I think he's similar to baseball player Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers), but I think he's a character that everyone loves. Even if you read the comments of Grizzlies players such as Morant, they all trust him, saying, "I don't have any more slang to teach him." I think it's his humanity that he's been loved so much in such a short time. It's amazing that not only the Grizzlies, but even when he goes to other places, everyone says, "Let Yuki play." In the game I saw, Morant, who was injured and went down to the locker, came back to the court dragging his leg because Yuki played (in the game). Morant, a superstar, does that. I think it's his humanity after all. All of his teammates say they like him. So I want to tell him to sign a real contract (laughs).
--Kawamura's original contract with the Grizzlies was the "Exhibit 10" (a non-guaranteed contract with the minimum annual salary set by the NBA), but did Kawamura contact you at this time?
I was contacted. (When I signed with Exhibit 10) he called me and said, "The announcement will be made soon." Also, (when I signed with 2-way) I was in the middle of a league match and he called me and told me. So I told him, "Oh, great! We beat Nihon University and Nippon Sport Science University," and he said, "I watched it." I was like, "Why did you watch it?" (laughs). He's a really good kid. He's really loyal and kind.
Q: Your contract changed from Xibito 10 to 2-way during the preseason. How do you feel about such a quick change?
When he was in his second year of university, he said to me, "I have something to discuss with you," one month after the league ended and the Intercollegiate (All Japan University Basketball Championship) was about to begin. At that time, there were few games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no spring league games, and the Autumn Cup was a tournament format. So he said, "I want to go to the Paris Olympics, so I'm going to become a professional." (Kawamura dropped out of Tokai University after his second year of university and signed a professional contract with the Yokohama B-Corsairs of the B League.) In other words, he has goals and dreams, and he knows that it's important to think carefully and clear them. So I signed (the Exhibit 10 contract) and thought that this is how it would turn out.
--So he has a very clear vision.
That's right. And I think he can see what is needed to make that happen, what kind of effort he needs to make, what hurdles he needs to overcome, and what he should do next once he has overcome them.
--I imagine the competition is fierce in both the NBA and the G League, but you probably remember the excitement and fun of overcoming hurdles in that environment.
In the G League, you play a game and then have to move on to the next game, which is a tough environment, but he says he enjoys it and learns from it. He has great adaptability and is strong. Even when he can't play on the bench, he stands up and cheers for every play, and seeing him like that makes his teammates excited. He's not lying. You can tell he's serious and happy when you see him. I often tell my students that if they complain about not having enough playing time, they should look at Yuki.
Q: You are the first Japanese player to join the NBA from the B League without studying abroad. What value do you see in this?
I think it's good to have various pathways. It's good to go to a high school or university in Japan, or to Australia. In Yuki's case, he was only enrolled in college for two years, but he chose to play at a high school and university in Japan, and that's how he got to where he is now. He's the most common position guard in Japan, and he's 172 cm tall, so he definitely gives people dreams and hope, and makes them feel the possibilities. Before Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers) and Yuta Watanabe (Chiba Jets Funabashi) went to the NBA, I think everyone thought, "It's impossible." Then, people might have thought, "They went to a university in America, so they could go to the NBA, too." But Yuki broke that. I hope he will continue to make more breakthroughs for children in the future.
-In what way do you feel you have grown the most since you were playing under Rikukawa at Tokai University?
He does the obvious things well. What I mean is that he was at Tokai University until his second year, and he got all the credits and got excellent grades. He's also a teacher. He's serious about everything. That's why I think he can overcome (various hurdles). In America, he answers interviews in English. When the Tokai University basketball team played a practice game against Yokohama BC, I saw him talking to the foreign players in English, and I thought he was well prepared and thinking about the next step. Recently, he seems to have confidence in himself, and I get the impression that he plays and speaks with the thought, "I can definitely do it." So I think he is growing in the places where he needs to.
-- Kawamura's physical growth has been remarkable, and it seems he has built up a lot of muscle compared to his time at Tokai University.
You don't need to build hard muscles, but muscles act as a protector. Basketball today is really physical and injuries are common, so muscles are absolutely necessary. Even at Tokai University, I told him that if he wanted to go to the B.League, he absolutely had to build a (physical) foundation. I also told him that he needed techniques, tactics, understanding, and human skills, and in Yuki's case, he had all of those things, but at the time (when he was at Tokai University), his body was still thin. So I told him that he needed to build a foundation for his body, and he was serious, so he cleared that as well. I think he felt the importance of that even more after he went to Yokohama BC. He must have felt the need for it even more after he started playing for the national team. I feel that his body is completely different now.
--Kawamura's challenge in America has just begun. What kind of growth and success do you want to see from him in the future?
At this point, I think he has already demonstrated his presence and been recognized in the G League. However, I believe he can definitely become a player who is needed in the NBA, and I don't think he'll be satisfied with it, so I want him to continue challenging himself and stepping up.
-So the first step is to aim for a formal contract.
I think that's probably what he has as a goal. However, that's not the final goal, it's just a stepping stone. I want him to aim even higher, and I'm looking forward to seeing him play alongside Morant.
＊......"Live Broadcast! NBA G League Up Next Game 2025 with Yuki Kawamura & Hiroki Tominaga" will be broadcast live and streamed live on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 5:30 am on February 17th. "Live Broadcast! NBA All-Star Game 2025" will be broadcast live and streamed live on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 9:30 am on the same day.
