SPOKANE, Wash. – Japanese media have been following Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura since he was in high school.
Kazushi Tubuchi, the program director of Fuji TV, started following him four years ago.
“He was, you know, tall and he was a big impact for that school and he went to the national tournament and he won three straight years,” Tubuchi explained.
He said when he heard Hachimura was going to go to Gonzaga University he was happy because of the school’s great reputation.
“He’s rare because, you know, before that Japanese high school players never been to here,” he said. “He was special, ya know.”
Tubuchi said he has noticed that Hachimura has gotten bigger and buffer since his time in Japan.
“He could dunk you know, back in Japan, but right now his dunk is so powerful,” Tubuchi explained.
He said Hachimura is getting more and more popular in Japan and the US. So, he decided to take a trip to America to cover him.
Japan is also hosting the Olympics in 2020 and the people of Japan hope that he will play in the NBA and the Olympics.