Yuta Watanabe facts for kids
Watanabe with the Japan national team in 2023
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| No. 1 – Chiba Jets Funabashi | ||||||||||||||
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| Small forward / power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | October 13, 1994 Yokohama, Japan |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | George Washington (2014–2018) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2018–present | |||||||||||||
| League | B.League | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Memphis Grizzlies | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | →Memphis Hustle | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | →Raptors 905 | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Brooklyn Nets | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Phoenix Suns | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Memphis Grizzlies | |||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Chiba Jets Funabashi | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Yuta Watanabe (渡邊 雄太, Watanabe Yūta, born October 13, 1994) is a Japanese professional basketball player. He plays for the Chiba Jets Funabashi in Japan's B.League. Yuta played college basketball in the United States for the George Washington Colonials. He was the first Japanese-born student to get an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. In 2018, he was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. He has also played for the Japan national team, helping them win a bronze medal in 2013.
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Yuta's Early Life and High School Basketball
Yuta Watanabe was born in Yokohama, Japan, on October 13, 1994. He grew up in Miki, Kagawa. His family loves basketball! His mom, Kumi, played for Japan's national women's team. His dad played professionally, and his sister, Yuki, also played. When he was a kid, Yuta's favorite NBA team was the Los Angeles Lakers. His favorite player was Kobe Bryant.
Yuta went to Jinsei Gakuen High School in Kagawa, Japan. He helped his team reach the finals of the All-Japan High School Basketball Tournament twice. Yuta always dreamed of playing in the NBA.
In 2013, Yuta moved to the United States. He attended St. Thomas More Preparatory School in Oakdale, Connecticut. In his only year there, he averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds per game. He helped his team get a great record and reach the National Prep Championship game. Yuta was even called "the Chosen One" by The Japan Times.
Playing College Basketball
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In 2014, Yuta decided to play for the George Washington Colonials. This was a big deal because he became the first Japanese-born male player to get an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. He was only the fourth Japanese player ever to play at that level. Yuta shared his excitement on Twitter, saying he knew it would be tough but he would try his best.
When Yuta joined George Washington, major newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post wrote about him. Many people in Japan were excited to see him play. Yuta wanted to show other Japanese players that they could also play in the United States.
Freshman Year (2014-2015)
Yuta played his first game for George Washington on November 14, 2014. He scored 8 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. In December, he was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. He helped his team win the 2014 Diamond Head Classic tournament.
Later in the season, Yuta scored a career-high 21 points in a game against Massachusetts. He earned his second Rookie of the Week award, showing how important he was to the team. Even though he often came off the bench, he was a key player.
Sophomore Year (2015-2016)
On March 5, 2016, Yuta scored a career-high 22 points and had 6 assists against Davidson. He also helped George Washington win the 2016 National Invitation Tournament. This was the first time the team won a postseason championship! Yuta led his team in blocked shots that season.
Junior Year (2016-2017)
In his junior year, Yuta got his first "double-double" (scoring double digits in two categories) with 13 points and 12 rebounds. He was the second-highest scorer for George Washington, averaging 12.2 points per game. He was also named to the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team because of his strong defense.
Senior Year (2017-2018)
Yuta had a great senior year. He set a career-high with 13 rebounds in one game and 5 steals in another. In his final game for George Washington, he scored a career-high 31 points!
As a senior, Yuta was the team's top scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game. He was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. This was a big honor! He also made the Atlantic 10 All-Conference's Third Team and the All-Defensive Team again. By the end of his college career, Yuta was second in school history for blocked shots and games played.
Professional Basketball Career
After college, Yuta was not chosen in the 2018 NBA draft. However, he played for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Summer League. Then, he signed a special contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and their minor league team, the Memphis Hustle.
Memphis Grizzlies (2018–2020)
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On October 27, 2018, Yuta made his NBA debut with the Grizzlies. He became only the second Japanese player to ever play in the NBA! He spent most of his time with the Memphis Hustle in the G League. In the G League, he averaged 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in his first season.
On December 14, 2019, Yuta and Rui Hachimura of the Washington Wizards made history. They became the first two Japanese players to play against each other in an NBA game. In January 2020, Yuta scored a career-high 40 points in a G League game! He was named a Midseason All-NBA G League player.
Toronto Raptors (2020–2022)
In November 2020, Yuta joined the Toronto Raptors. He made his debut for the Raptors on December 31, 2020. On January 29, 2021, he scored a career-high 12 points against the Sacramento Kings.
Yuta continued to improve. On April 10, 2021, he scored 14 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Just six days later, he scored an even higher career-high of 21 points against the Orlando Magic! He had three games in a row where he scored double digits, which was his longest streak in the NBA. The Raptors were so impressed that they gave him a regular contract.
In the 2021-22 season, Yuta missed some games due to injury. But when he returned, he got his first "double-double" in the NBA with 12 points and 11 rebounds. On December 26, he had his best NBA game yet, scoring 26 points and grabbing 13 rebounds!
Brooklyn Nets (2022–2023)
Yuta signed with the Brooklyn Nets in August 2022. During November 2022, he was the best three-point shooter in the entire NBA! He finished the season shooting an amazing 44.4% from three-point range, which was his best career season.
Phoenix Suns (2023–2024)
In July 2023, Yuta signed with the Phoenix Suns.
Return to Memphis (2024)
In February 2024, Yuta was traded back to the Memphis Grizzlies. After the season, he decided to return to Japan to play basketball there.
Chiba Jets Funabashi (2024–present)
On July 11, 2024, Yuta signed with the Chiba Jets Funabashi in Japan's B.League.
Playing for Japan's National Team
Yuta has played for the Japan men's national basketball team many times. When he was 18, he made his debut in 2013 at the East Asia Basketball Championship. He helped the team win a bronze medal! In one game, he scored 22 points and had 14 rebounds against Macau.
He also played in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship and the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. In the 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Yuta averaged 17.5 points per game. Later that year, he played in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, leading the Japanese team in points.
Yuta's Playing Style
Yuta Watanabe is known for his amazing defense. People say he has "great hands" on defense and is always in the right spot. His former coach, Nick Nurse, said Yuta's defense "rubs off on others."
Yuta is also praised for his basketball smarts. He seems to always know what to do on the court. He rarely makes mistakes and learns quickly from his coaches. His energy and hustle are also big parts of his game. He is always moving, which helps him on both offense and defense.
Some people have said Yuta needed to gain more weight and muscle to be even stronger. But his hard work and dedication have made him a successful player.
See also
In Spanish: Yuta Watanabe (baloncestista) para niños
- Basketball in Japan
- Basketball in the United States
