Rui Hachimura is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. Born in Toyama Prefecture in 1998, he rose to prominence as a high school star in Japan before playing college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA draft and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020, and he has also represented the Japan national team.
Early life and youth
Hachimura was born to a Japanese mother and a Beninese father and grew up in Toyama Prefecture. As a high school player at Meisei, he led his team to three straight All-Japan High School Tournament titles and was a leading player for Japan's under-17 and under-19 teams in FIBA competition. In 2016 he joined Gonzaga, after overcoming questions about his English and academic eligibility to play college basketball in the United States.
College and NBA career
At Gonzaga he became the fifth Japanese-born player to compete in NCAA Division I basketball and, in 2017, the first Japanese national to appear in the NCAA Division I men's tournament. As a junior he earned Player of the Year honors in the West Coast Conference. He then entered the NBA draft, and with the Washington Wizards he became the first Japanese player taken in the first round, moving to the Clippers later on.