To use this site, please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page.
This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies.
Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Rui Hachimura plays for Japan during the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
17:40 JST, June 27, 2023
Rui Hachimura of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers will not play for Japan at this year’s FIBA World Cup, which starts on Aug. 25 and takes place in Okinawa, the Philippines and Indonesia, the Japan Basketball Association announced Tuesday.
The association said it “fully considered everything from his contract for next season in the NBA, to issues such as conditioning, and has accepted his wishes.”
Said Hachimura in a statement: “It was a very difficult decision, but after last season and a long playoff run, I made this decision to give priority and consideration to my future NBA career as I prepare for my first time in free agency.”
