Japan Men’s National Basketball Team Prepares for FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers with Media Day

Japan men’s national team holds media day [写真]=Basketball King

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On February 16th, a media day was held for the Japan Men’s National Team (ranked 26th in the FIBA ​​rankings).

The Japanese national team started training camp on the 12th in preparation for Window 1 of the “FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers”. With the exception of Shuta Hara (Chiba Jets), Yutaka Yoshii (Alvark Tokyo), and Raita Ako (Akita Northern Happinets), who were announced to be in poor condition, Shin Hiejima (Utsunomiya Brex), Yuki Togashi (Chiba J), and Josh.・Includes key players for the FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup 2023, such as Hawkinson (Sunrockers Shibuya) and Yuki Kawamura (Yokohama Bee Corsairs), as well as first-time selection members Josh Harrelson (Saga Ballooners) and Ryo Abe (Sendai 89ERS). 17 people participated.

At Media Day, the focus was on shooting after practice. In response to a media interview after practice, head coach Tom Horvath said, “We’re all in the same boat. We want to play in Paris. We want to go to the second round (final tournament),” and talked about his goals for the 2024 Paris Olympics. was set as a breakthrough in the qualifying league to be held in Lille.

It seems like he hasn’t changed his style since the World Cup, and in training camp he will focus on what he is lacking and what he can do better. In Window 1, they will play against the Guam national team (76th place) on the 22nd and the Chinese national team (29th place) on the 25th. Looking ahead to the two games, he said, “I want to try a lot of things,” and while mentioning the names of Keita Imamura (Ryukyu Golden Kings), Chikayoshi Kane (Chiba Junior High), and Harrelson, he added, “There are no more than 15 players. There are players I want to see. ” he commented.

Josh Harrelson selected for the Japan national team for the first time [写真]=Basketball King

In addition, Abe, who is selected for the national team for the first time, is notable for his offensive side, averaging 14.5 points and 4.8 assists per game in league games. He evaluated, “(Up until now) my number 2 (shooting guard) was scoring, but I can do a lot of things.”

He also mentioned Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers). When asked about his comments about participating in the Olympics, he said, “I’m happy. He’s a top-level player. (If he participates) he’ll be a strong rebounder and can do transitions. I think he’ll fit in with the team.” He also revealed his idea for a lineup with Hawkinson at center), Hachimura at No. 4 (power forward), and Yuta Watanabe (Memphis Grizzlies) at No. 3 (small forward).

In response to the interview, Togashi said, “I’ve had a lot of free time after the World Cup, so I’ve been practicing well to remember (Horvath’s basket),” and said, “I’ve been practicing well to remember (Horvath’s basket),” and said, “I’ve had a lot of free time after the World Cup, so I’ve been practicing well to remember (Horvath’s basket).” Looking ahead to the match, he said, “I want to get revenge.”

2024-02-16 17:39:37
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