In last year's FIBA Basketball World Cup against Finland, Yuki Kawamura scored 15 points in the fourth quarter. By watching him lead the team to victory, Yuki Togashi felt like he was another fan watching the game from the bench.
"It felt like I was really watching another NBA player," Togashi reflected later.
Togashi, who is 1.67M (5'6") and turning 31 years old on July 30 during the Paris Olympics, made it to the roster for the Japanese national team alongside Kawamura, who is 23 years old and 1.72M (5'8") point guard. For Coach Tom Hovasse, including two small size point guards was a gamble but essential to maximize Japan's speed and to have their great game control ability.
At last summer's World Cup, Togashi reflected on making the national team.
"Honestly, I never thought I'd be able to play for the national team for this long at my height. When I was a kid, I rarely saw the Japanese national team competing in the Olympics, and there was a time when I didn't even consider aiming for the national team and just played as a professional. From there, being selected for the national team, being appointed captain for this major tournament, and achieving the team's goal of qualifying for the Paris Olympics makes me very happy."
Kawamura was the one who admired and chased after Togashi from a young age. Since high school, he had said, "I want to be like Togashi-san. Even though I do not have a size, I want to carry Japan on my back to play at the world stage."
Kawamura himself acknowledged, "Playing basketball at this size is very challenging," but still showed his pride, saying, "I believe that differences in height and jumping ability can be overcome with determination. I hope that seeing me will encourage kids who do not have size not to give up."
For Kawamura, the Paris Olympics has been his top priority for the past few years. Togashi mentioned that there was a time when he didn’t even aim on making the national team, but Kawamura, who is seven years younger, has always dreamed of wearing the Japanese national team uniform and competing on the global stage. He wanted to strengthen the national team and boost the popularity of basketball in Japan.
Therefore after quitting his university to pursue a career as a professional player two years ago, he postponed his other goal of playing overseas and chose to stay in Japan to play in the B.LEAGUE, all to prepare for the Paris Olympics.
Regarding that decision, he said, "I think the Olympics is a stage that all athletes want to compete on. I made various decisions for that purpose."
That’s why he was delighted to earn a spot in the Paris Olympics as a member of the Japanese national team last year at the World Cup. At the same time, he saw his challenges through competing against world-class talents. Over the past year, he has worked to overcome those challenges one by one and prepared to compete in Paris.
The competition at the Olympics could be even tougher than at the World Cup. In France, he will face Dennis Schröder with Germany, whom Kawamura described as "exceptional" during the World Cup, and also compete against France and Brazil, striving to achieve the team's goal of reaching the top eight.
Togashi, who has watched Kawamura constantly move forward and grow, proudly said, "Seeing the results of the World Cup and his performance in the B.LEAGUE, the expectations for him are very high. It won’t be easy to exceed those expectations, but I believe he can do it."
After achieving his goal of competing in the Paris Olympics, Kawamura will challenge overseas which he had put on hold. Starting in September, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and will participate in their training camp. Despite his small size, his presence continues to grow.
(by Yoko Miyaji)
FIBA