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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
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Rui Hachimura: family and mixed-race heritage, making NBA history and potential Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games flag-bearer

  • The 23-year-old went from questioning identity as a child, to becoming the NBA’s only Japanese first-round draft pick
  • With all eyes on him in Tokyo, Hachimura’s Wizards team is confident he can embrace and thrive in the spotlight

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Japanese basketball player Rui Hachimura in a match for the Washington Wizards against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Eastern Conference first round series at the Wells Fargo Centre, in Philadelphia in June. Photo: AFP
Andrew McNicol
Rumoured to be on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games opening ceremony flag-bearer shortlist, history-making NBA player Rui Hachimura’s stock could explode in a month’s time.
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The 23-year-old Japanese-Beninese forward is fresh off his best season so far with the Washington Wizards, where he gained plaudits from the likes of triple-double record-breaking teammate Russell Westbrook.

From “trying to hide from people” as a mixed child in Japan, to becoming the first Japanese player ever to be drafted in the first round of an NBA Draft, and brushing shoulders with Tokyo Games poster girl Naomi Osaka, it is no wonder “The Black Samurai” fits the profile for the biggest sporting event in the world after a year’s postponement.

Here’s what you need to know about the two-metre tall national team prospect dubbed as one of Asia’s best active NBA talents.

Biography

Rui Hachimura was born on February 8, 1998 in Toyama, Japan to a Beninese father and Japanese mother. Though he was originally funnelled into being a baseball player, he soon found his calling in basketball.

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