MEMPHIS (USA) - The first thing you notice is the size. Yuki Kawamura is always the shortest player on the court when he's playing pre-season games for the Memphis Grizzlies. Kawamura, 23, stands 1.75M (5'8") tall.
It's bigger than Charlotte Hornets legend Muggsy Bogues, who had a long NBA career as a 1.59M (5'3") point guard, yet several inches shorter than most others at his position in the league now.
Yet what is also striking about Kawamura is the serious, yet relaxed and confident look on his face when he is standing alongside much taller teammates. Monday against New York in a preseason game, he posted 10 points and 7 assists.
"The (Memphis) coaching staff was telling me they saw the Olympics and saying things like I was incredible so that really made me happy." - Kawamura
Remember that game against France on July 30 in Lille, when Kawamura tore apart Les Bleus with 29 points and 6 assists? Kawamura also had 7 rebounds and a steal. Size was not an impediment against a French team that had a couple of skyscrapers in 2.24M (7'3") Victor Wembanyama and 2.16M (7'1") Rudy Gobert.
Kawamura very nearly orchestrated the biggest upset at the 2024 Olympics yet France, after Matthew Strazel's 4-point play with 10 seconds to go forced overtime, escaped with a 94-90 triumph.
The basketball gods were cruel that day to Kawamura. He was the best player on the court yet was whistled for the foul on Strazel as he took the late 3-pointer that helped tie the game. Kawamura was called for the foul because his hand was on Strazel as he went up for the shot.
That performance was all that was needed to confirm to the non-believers, or the people that had yet to be convinced, that Kawamura was special.
Vincent Collet, the France coach, prioritized defense over everything else yet Kawamura was able to destroy the French guards, which became even more impressive since the French excelled as the tournament wore on.
Kawamura had already, of course, shown his brilliance multiple times.
At the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 in Jakarta, Kawamura dazzled with his playmaking and defense yet was reluctant to shoot.
His national team coach, Tom Hovasse, stressed to the point guard that for him and Japan to take the next step, he needed to cut it loose and be a scorer, too.
The following B. League season, Kawamura didn't hold back, pouring in the points en route to an MVP season in the B. League with the Yokohama B Corsairs.
He then dazzled at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, in Okinawa. In the Japanese team's crucial Group Phase win that helped keep their Olympic qualification hopes alive, a come-from-behind triumph over Finland, Kawamura erupted for 25 points on 10 of 16 shooting from the floor, including 4 of 7 from behind the arc.
Japan followed up that victory, which made them third in their group, with victories over Cape Verde and Venezuela, to finish 19th - the highest standing of all Asia teams at the World Cup. That qualified the team for the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024.
After another strong season in the B. League with Yokohama, and a couple of strong performances for Japan in the Asia Cup Qualifiers in February, Kawamura was primed for the Olympics, and he did not disappoint.
When news broke that Memphis had signed Kawamura to an Exhibit 10 contract, a non-guaranteed, one-year deal on a minimum salary, it raised eyebrows yet probably didn't surprise anyone considering his Olympic performance, where he averaged 20.3 points per game, and 7.7 assists.
Now the Grizzlies have done even more. They have promoted Kawamura to a two-way contract. That means at some point this season, you will see the Japan playmaker's elite passing and vision in the NBA.
The national team gave Kawamura the stage to perform, to show he deserved a shot in the NBA.
When he joined Memphis, Kawamura had to prove himself all over again. He talked about the challenge.
"The (Memphis) coaching staff was telling me they saw the Olympics and saying things like I was incredible so that really made me happy," he said to Olympics.com. "But now I have to show that to my teammates. There is still so much for me to do.
"Every day is a tryout. I can get cut anytime, Kawamura said. "Can’t let up at all, have to prove to my team-mates and the coaching staff that I can play.
"I have to look at myself hard in the mirror each and everyday, and play with conviction."
His teammates have been impressed.
People underestimate him - Marcus Smart
One of them, Marcus Smart, said to the The Commercial Appeal: "Yuki brings a uniqueness to the game that you can't teach. He uses everything in his skill set to his advantage. Speed, and being so small. Sometimes you don't even see him, he comes out of nowhere. He's able to shoot the ball. He's able to handle the ball and pass the ball as well. People underestimate him..."
Zach Edey, the Canada international who played at the World Cup and is a rookie after a standout career with the Purdue Boilermakers, said to essentially sports.com: "He plays bigger than he is. He drives in the paint, he’s trying to make plays, he’s trying to get to the rim."
The buzz in Memphis is that the Grizzlies are trying to play as fast as at any time in franchise history so that in and of itself would seem to help the speedy Kawamura, who thrives in the uptempo game.
"It’s been really fun," he said. "Working on my game, working on my English. I'm trying to constantly communicate with my team-mates.
"It's intense, as I expected. Everyone’s full of energy. They’re not just big, but they all have heart, practicing with so much passion.
"This is my dream stage," he said. "Whether I’m on for 40 minutes or one, I’ll be giving it my 100%."
FIBA