JAPANESE-born Yuta Watanabe is on a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and seeks to become only the second player from his country to suit up in the current National Basketball Association (NBA) season.
Under his two-way contract, Watanabe will be playing for the Grizzlies’ affiliate team in the developmental NBA G League, Memphis Hustle, and can be recalled at any time to see action with the Grizzlies in the world’s most prestigious professional league.
A 6-foot-9, 196-pound forward who was born in Kagawa, Japan, Watanabe went undrafted in the NBA grab-bag last June following a four-year stint with George Washington University, a U.S. NCAA Division I school. He then played for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Summer League, where some success landed him a two-way contract with the Grizz on July 20. (During the season, each NBA club is allowed to employ no more than a pair of two-way players in addition to the regular 15-man roster.)
Watanabe appeared in four NBA preseason games with the Grizzlies, averaging 3.8 points an outing. He racked up 11 points (5-7 FGA, 1-2 3FGA) in a 109-104 win over the Indiana Pacers last October 6.
Watanabe, who has been compared to former Croatian national teamer and Chicago Bulls forward Toni Kukoc for his versatility, is the fourth Japan-born basketball player to suit up for an NCAA Division I program after KJ Matsui, Michael Takahashi and Taishi Ito.
In 2014, Watanabe became the first Japan-born student athlete to claim an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship at George Washington University.
In four seasons and 134 games at GWU, he normed 10.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocks every time out.
As a senior in 2017-18, he registered career bests in scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounding (6.1 rpg) and shot blocks (1.6 bpg) in 33 games as a starter for the Colonials. He also was voted the Defensive Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the first Colonial to accomplish the feat.
Before moving to the collegiate ranks, Watanabe matriculated at the Jinsei Gakuen High School in Zentsuji, Kagawa.
In late 2013, Watanabe traveled to the U.S. and attended St. Thomas More Preparatory School in Oakdale, Connecticut. In his lone high school season there, he posted averages of 13 points and six rebounds a game.
Watanabe, who during his childhood days looked to all-time Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant as his favorite NBA player and the Lakers as his top NBA team, first saw the light of day in Miki, Kagawa, in Japan into a family with a illustrious basketball history. His mom, Kumi, played ball for the Chanson V-Magic in one of the premier Japanese leagues and was a member of Japan’s women’s national team. His dad also suited up for the Kumagai Gumi Bruins in the pro ranks.
Watanabe’s sister, Yuki, saw action with the Aisin AW Wings of the Women’s Japanese Basketball League.
Only one Japanese-born player has ever made it officially to the NBA — 5-foot-9 point guard Yuta Tabuse, who saw action with the Phoenix Suns for four games at the start of the 2004-05 wars. Now aged 38, Tabuse netted seven points against the Atlanta Hawks in his NBA debut on November 3, 2004.
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