With an Olympic Games berth and Asian bragging rights on the line, Japan is set to lean heavily on its two-man NBA contingent when it co-hosts the FIBA Basketball World Cup with the Philippines and Indonesia later this year.
Okinawa Arena in the country's southernmost island will host group-stage games during the Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 tournament, including those featuring the Akatsuki Japan outfit led by the Los Angeles Lakers' Rui Hachimura and Brooklyn Nets' Yuta Watanabe.
Currently in the thick of a tumultuous NBA season, the two forwards will be integral to coach Tom Hovasse's plans for the World Cup, where Japan can secure automatic qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics by finishing top among Asian countries.