SINGAPORE - After he completed the biggest scoring binge ever seen on the half-court, Japanese sensation Ryo Ozawa calmly celebrated his team's pool win over Iran to kick-start their campaign at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2025.
There was no jumping around or celebrating wildly even though he put up an insane 20 points - the highest output ever recorded in 3x3. He was hotter than wasabi with 7 of 10 two-pointers as Ozawa finished with a jaw-dropping player-value of 23.1.
Ozawa might just be 3x3's Steph Curry as he showed during a shooting spree for the ages. To create history as a dude who stands only 5ft 10in (1.78m) just proves that you don't have to be a giant to dominate 3x3.
High skill, passion and mentality can get you to the very top as Ozawa has proven. His calm demeanour after his heroics underlines two things. Firstly, that Ozawa is extremely humble and he is all about team success. Secondly, it means that he wasn't really fazed about what he had just produced.
The 26-year-old clearly believes in himself and he had every reason to with a shooting stroke that is deadlier than sake. It wasn't just a flash in the pan with Ozawa on a heater throughout as steam came out of his ears every time he shot from deep.
He backed up the Iran performance with 10 points and 5 highlights against eventual champs Australia in a major upset. The way he schooled the athletic Aussies with his insane handles and deep range was mesmerizing. But Ozawa isn't just a knockout scorer because he has insane vision as if he has eyes in the back of his head.
He dropped spectacular dimes to prove that he is unstoppable when he has the Wilson in his hands. You have to cover him like a glove, but if you double him then Ozawa will find the open man as he repeatedly did in Singapore.
Ozawa then threw up 11 points to silence the home fans against Singapore in the quarters before he ran out of gas as Japan agonizingly fell short of securing their first men's medal at the Asia Cup since winning bronze in 2018.
He finished with 51 points - an all-time Asia Cup landmark - to finish on the Team of the Tournament in the greatest solo performance ever seen at this event.
Ranked the No.2 Japanese men's player, Ozawa has been dedicated to 3x3 for a long time having made his debut in 2016. We've seen flashes of his talent previously but patently waited for the day to arrive when all his electric skill came together.
It memorably did in Singapore as Ozawa made the leap and he looms as the next big thing in 3x3.
Whatever happens, this unassuming 3x3 samurai will always have a special place in the record books having cracked the magical 20-point mark that had long seemed impossible for anyone to reach.
FIBA