*This content was translated by AI.
A formidable 'major disaster' and top-priority concern has emerged for the South Korean men's national basketball team. It is because Rui Hachimura (28, LA Clippers, 203cm), a star player of Japanese basketball who plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA), has made a surprise declaration to return to the national team after two years.
According to reports by Japan's Chunichi Sports and others on the 2nd, Hachimura appeared at a fan meeting held in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on the 1st, where he publicly announced his intention to rejoin the Japanese national team before fans.
According to local Japanese reports, Hachimura, who had suspended his activities with the Japanese national team after the Paris Olympics held in July 2024, made a surprise announcement that day: "The real reason for my return is to participate in the second round of qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup," thrilling fans at the venue.
In November 2024, after the Olympics concluded, Hachimura publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the reappointment of then-coach Tom Hovasse, stating that "there was no respect shown toward players."
This incident caused friction between him and the association, but the Japanese Basketball Association took his remarks seriously. The situation changed in February when coach Hovasse was dismissed and new head coach Dai Oketani was appointed. Coach Oketani sent an active recruitment call, saying, "Hachimura is a top-level player, and his strength is absolutely necessary to compete on the world stage," ultimately succeeding in winning over Hachimura's heart.
Hachimura is set to travel to Saudi Arabia on the 27th, and it is highly likely he will don the national team jersey and step onto the court before Japanese home fans for the first time in about five years since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, through a home game against Qatar held at the Toyota Arena in Tokyo on the 31st.
Having solidified his position in the NBA after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and joining the LA Clippers last July, Hachimura ultimately aims for a medal at the '2028 Los Angeles Olympics.' He vowed, "To make Japanese basketball stronger and to move toward the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics, I will give my all again."
The country most nervous about Hachimura's return to his Jeon Gyeok-jeok-in (CEO) team is none other than South Korea. This is particularly problematic for the South Korean national basketball team, which aims for a gold medal ahead of the Asian Games (AG) to be held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, this September.
If Hachimura were to make a surprise join-up by coordinating his NBA preseason schedule to play at the home-hosted Asian Games, it would become the worst-case scenario for the South Korean national team. This is because an active NBA player with overwhelming skills beyond the level of a typical national team member, playing as a number 4 (power forward), would appear on the Asian stage.
Hachimura, who has returned to the national team after two years and is ready to shake up the Asian basketball scene once again. Attention now turns to how his return will act as a variable in the future brutal history of South Korean basketball at the Asian Games and international tournaments.
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*This content was translated by AI.
