Yuki Kawamura’s historic NBA journey begins

Yuki Kawamura, the fourth Japanese player in NBA history, made his highly anticipated debut on Friday with the Memphis Grizzlies, playing 3 minutes and 34 seconds in their loss to the Houston Rockets.

He recorded his first NBA assist, setting up a layup for the Grizzlies‘ final points. The following night, Kawamura played at home against the Orlando Magic, energizing the crowd, who chanted “We want Yuki!” Playing a total of only six minutes in two games, the 5-foot-8 guard is still searching for his first NBA points, having missed two 3-point attempts.

Kawamura, who signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies after a strong preseason performance, previously earned MVP honors in Japan’s B.League. He will have another opportunity to score his first NBA points when the Grizzlies face the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.