Japan men's basketball team adds NBA stars Hachimura and Kawamura to World Cup qualifying squad
The Japan Basketball Association announced a 14‑player training roster for the FIBA 2027 World Cup Asian qualifying Phase 4. The list features NBA players Rui Hachimura of the Los Angeles Clippers and Yuki Kawamura, marking their return to the national team alongside veterans such as Yuta Watanabe, Joshua Hawkinson and Yuki Fujiki. The squad averages 192 cm in height and 27.7 years in age.
Training camp begins on 11 August at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, followed by warm‑up matches on 15 and 16 August. Japan’s qualifier schedule starts on 27 August against Saudi Arabia and continues on 31 August versus Qatar. JBA chairman Ito Takuma said the inclusion of Hachimura and Kawamura is of great significance for Japanese basketball, and Hachimura posted on YouTube expressing his enthusiasm to rejoin the team.
Entities: Ito Takuma · Japan Basketball Association · Japan men's basketball team · Rui Hachimura · Yuki Kawamura
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The squad averages 192 cm in height and 27.7 years in age. (JBA roster statistics)
- [● 2 SOURCES] JBA chairman Ito Takuma said the inclusion of Hachimura and Kawamura is of great significance for Japanese basketball. (JBA comment)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Rui Hachimura posted on YouTube expressing his desire to return to the national team. (Hachimura's YouTube video)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Japan will play warm‑up matches on 15 August and 16 August in Tokyo. (JBA schedule)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Japan Basketball Association announced a 14‑player training roster for the FIBA 2027 World Cup Asian qualifying Phase 4. (JBA announcement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Training camp starts on 11 August at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo. (JBA schedule)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Japan's first qualifier is on 27 August against Saudi Arabia, followed by a match on 31 August versus Qatar. (JBA schedule)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The roster includes NBA players Rui Hachimura of the Los Angeles Clippers and Yuki Kawamura. (JBA roster list)