LILLE (France) - On paper, the performances of the Japanese men's national team at the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics were similar, as if copy and pasted from one competition to the next.
In both tournaments, Japan fought hard against two European teams (Spain in Tokyo, France in Paris) in one game.
Then they also suffered a complete defeat in another (Slovenia in Tokyo, Germany in Paris).
In the last game, they were without key players (Gavin Edwards in Tokyo, Rui Hachimura in Paris) and were defeated by South American teams (Argentina in Tokyo, Brazil in Paris).
Ultimately, the results were the same: three straight losses, failing to advance to the Quarter-Finals.
However, the Paris Olympics was a tournament where Japan's growth could be seen beyond just the results. This sense of accomplishment was reflected in the comments from the players after the tournament.
Captain Yuki Togashi looked back on the tournament and said, "Of course, this is where we are now, and results are everything, but I think we ended this with a slightly different feeling compared to the games in Tokyo. I believe this experience will surely be beneficial for the next generation."
Yuta Watanabe, who was seen crying with a towel over his head on the bench after losing the final match at the Tokyo Olympics, once again had tears in his eyes.
This time, he proudly stated, "We had a goal of reaching the top 8, and though we couldn't achieve that, I think we were able to showcase Japanese basketball to the world through these three games."
The greatest reason the players felt a sense of accomplishment and the fans felt hope was that Japan took a four-point lead with 16 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter against the host team, France, and was about to claim victory. Then, Yuki Kawamura was called for a foul on a made three-point attempt by France, allowing them to tie the game, and Japan ultimately lost in overtime. Despite letting the wim slip through their fingers, they were able to demonstrate that they could compete with a top-level European team.
When Watanabe was asked a year ago about the future of the Japanese national team, he said, "We need to become a team that is not underestimated by the world."
"Not just Japan, but Asian teams are often looked down at the global stage. When other teams from Europe or America see an Asian team in their group, they think, 'Alright, that's our first win.' We need to change that. We need to become a team that makes others think, 'I don't want to play against Japan.' Technically and in many other aspects, the gap with the world is still large, but I think we are becoming a team that other teams don't want to face."
Since then, Japan have defeated Finland, Venezuela, and Cape Verde in the World Cup to qualify for the Paris Olympics. In Paris, although they couldn't secure a win, they pushed France to the brink
According to The Athletic, Victor Wembanyama said after the game against Japan, "We have to respect them. They know how to make the most of their strengths. There's something we can learn from them."
Gaining respect from their opponents was Japan's biggest achievement in this tournament.
Of course, the players are not satisfied with just gaining the respect. Yuki Kawamura, who scored 29 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds and led the team after Hachimura's departure in the game against France, expressed his frustration at not being able to win, saying, "We came to win, not just to play well."
What gives hope for the Los Angeles Olympics in four years is this very fact. The players are not satisfied with a close game. Having played intense games against the world's top 12 teams, they ended their challenge in Paris with a stronger desire to win and grow as individual players to achieve that.
The challenge to the world continues.
(by Yoko Miyaji)
FIBA