The NBA preseason is officially here — and it started in Japan. The Golden State Warriors faced the Washington Wizards in front of a sold-out crowd at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo. In case you didn’t wake up at 6 am Eastern to watch a meaningless preseason NBA game (and if you did, we’re worried about you), here are a few highlights and notes from the night.
• The Wizards were there because they have the biggest Japanese star in the NBA, Rui Hachimura, and he was given a chance to shine. The crowd erupted when he did anything.
Rui Hachimura was getting buckets for the @WashWizards in the #NBAJapanGames 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EQPP6Gr4vi
— NBA (@NBA) September 30, 2022
• The leading scorer on the night was the Warriors James Wiseman with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, plus nine boards.
Steph to Wiseman for the sweet alley-oop!pic.twitter.com/WEFuFgS1zN
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) September 30, 2022
• Dunk of the game goes to Kyle Kuzma.
💥 OH YEAH KUZ! #NBAJapanGames
— NBA (@NBA) September 30, 2022
📲 https://t.co/rgegl2X5Zu pic.twitter.com/gDzU9eIF1w
• Stephen Curry was doing Stephen Curry things.
Steph splashes from the other side of the Pacificpic.twitter.com/DtaU5mZHxi
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) September 30, 2022
• Stephen Curry also met Suga of BTS and gave him some game-worn kicks. This will win Twitter for the day.
👟 @StephenCurry30 gifts Suga his game kicks in Tokyo!#NBAJapanGames | @BTS_twt | @bts_bighit pic.twitter.com/iuKOK3SJRu
— NBA (@NBA) September 30, 2022
Suga shows off @stephencurry30’s game kicks from tonight’s action in Tokyo! #NBAJapanGames #NBAKicks pic.twitter.com/JhZi2Bu03c
— 🏀 #NBAKicks 👟 (@NBAKicks) September 30, 2022
• Oh, by the way, the Warriors won 96-87. As for the level of basketball, it looked like the first preseason game after a flight halfway around the world. The teams combined to shoot 11-of-47 in the first quarter (23.4%) and both were under 40% for the game.
• Klay Thompson is sitting out both Warriors games in Japan.
• TRIVIA TIME: Can you name the other two players currently in the NBA born in Japan?
Cam Thomas (Yokosuka) and Yuta Watanabe (Yokohama), both of the Brooklyn Nets (Watanabe is on a training camp deal and is not expected to make the roster). Both were raised much of their lives and went to high school and college in the United States.
