Standing at just 5 feet 8 inches tall, Yuki Kawamura is perhaps an unlikely basketball star.
“It’s not like I can do any dunk shots,” says the NBA’s current shortest player, who is almost a foot below the average height in the league. He’s the only man under 6 feet (1.83 meters) tall on an active NBA roster.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old Memphis Grizzlies guard has become a fan favorite in his rookie season, thanks to his seamless no-look passes and ankle-breaking jump shots, as he battles to establish himself in the league.
“I think my strengths are in assist and game control, so I’m hoping to play to my strengths to contribute to the team’s win,” Kawamura told CNN Sport in an interview, adding that he has also been working on his three-pointers.
Kawamura is only the fourth ever NBA player from Japan and it’s been a whirlwind journey to the top for the man from Yanai, a sleepy city in the southwest of the country.
He is following in the footsteps of Los Angeles Lakers star Rui Hachimura, former Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe, and Yuta Tabuse, the pioneering 5-foot-9 point guard who played four games for the Phoenix Suns in the 2004-05 season.
“He’s the first Japanese NBA player, and watching his play inspired me to keep working hard on basketball,” Kawamura said.
After rising to the professional ranks following a storied high school career back home, Kawamura was catapulted to international fame last year at the Paris Olympics.
The stark contrast of the diminutive Japanese guard going up against the host nation’s 7 feet 3 inches tall center Victor Wembanyama was one of the most memorable images of the Games.
Japan’s Yuki Kawamura defends against Victor Wembanyama of France during the Paris 2024 Olympic basketball tournament on July 30, 2024.
And although France edged the closely fought game in overtime, Kawamura led the scoring on 29 points, with his agility, solid three-pointers and game-making vision on full display.
Crashing out in the first round of the Olympics was a “bitter” loss, Kawamura said, but he acknowledged the impact of his own performance, which helped earn him a move to the NBA on a two-way contract last October.
That marked the culmination of a lifetime dream, Kawamura said, having grown up idolizing the game’s biggest stars.
“I simply could not believe it. Ever since I was little, I watched the NBA through videos, players like Michael Jordan,” he said.
“The fact that I was in the same court, sitting on that bench, was unbelievable.”
These days, Kawamura says he draws inspiration from an all-star teammate – with whom he’s also struck up an unexpected friendship.
“Ja Morant is like my big brother, truly,” Kawamura says. “From when I arrived in America, he’s been helping me. Even now, he teaches me basketball skills and English.”
“Watching from the bench, even if you’re an amateur, he does insane dunks and plays insanely well,” he added. “He’s also incredibly smart.”
Kawamura has been a stand-out performer this season for the Memphis Hustle in the NBA’s developmental G League, scoring an average of 12.9 points per game.
And though his game-time has been limited for the Grizzlies, he delighted fans with an NBA career-high 10 points from off the bench against Oklahoma City Thunder in December.
Kawamura has averaged 1.2 points and 3.2 minutes per game in the NBA this season – leaving fans wanting more: at recent games, the cry of “We want Yuki!” has rung around the Grizzlies’ home arena.
“When I hear those cheers, I feel both great gratitude and the wish to live up to the expectations that the fans have for me and I feel that every day,” said Kawamura, whose goal now is to turn his two-way contract into an official one.
“I’d like to become a player who can receive calls like ‘we want Yuki’ during the important moments of the game.”
