Japan’s #05 Yuki Kawamura dribbles the ball in the men’s preliminary round group B basketball match between Japan and France during the Paris Olympics 2024 at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines –Japan’s Yuki Kawamura has been turning heads so far in the Paris Olympics 2024 men’s basketball competition.
Kawamura had a performance to remember of 29 points built on six three-pointers to go with seven rebounds and six assists in Japan’s gallant stand against host France, led by NBA big men Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, in the group phase.
According to Fiba, Kawamura is only the third player in the Olympics who have combined for 25+ PTS, 5+ REB and 5+ AST in a game in the 21st century with the other two being NBA players Kevin Durant in 2016 and Luol Deng in 2012.
SCHEDULE: Men’s basketball at Paris Olympics 2024
But was a heartbreaking finish for Kawamura and the Japanese, who fell short to the home bets in overtime 94-90 with NBA Rookie of the Year Wembanyama scoring eight of his 18 points in extra regulation to stay unbeaten in two games in Group B.
Pitted against a massive French home crowd and a couple of NBA players, Kawamura, a 5-foot-8 guard, stood tall against the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama and the tough defenders Gobert and Nic Batum.
He also took over after NBA talent Rui Hachimura was ejected and gave Japan a crucial 84-80 lead with four consecutive free throws at the final 16.4-second mark.
However, the Japanese guard was called for a foul when Matthew Strazel sank a clutch triple and eventually converted the four-point play to tie the game at 84-all with 10.2 seconds to go.
Kawamura attempted a game-winning triple over Batum but it went off the mark, leading the game into overtime, where Wembanyama dominated and kept the home team unscathed.
The 23-year-old guard took the blame after falling to their second straight loss after bowing Fiba World Cup champion Germany, 97-77.
“I lost a game that we could have won. I couldn’t control it as the point guard. I’m really sorry to the team,” Kawamura told Nikkei Sports. “I think the last foul was a tough call… Whatever it is, it all depends on the referee. There are no excuses, and it’s my fault for having such a close contest.”
However, in an interview with BasketNews, he insisted he didn’t commit a foul that led to the crucial four-point play.
“I think [there was] no foul,” Kawamura said. “But Strazel is a good shooter. That was a tough shot and he made it. We lost the game… I have to get better.”
The Japanese rising star is moving on from the tough loss, stressing that they didn’t come to Paris for morale wins and hoping to keep themselves in contention against Brazil.
“We didn’t come here to put up a good fight, but we believed we could do it and have been preparing for it. (In the final huddle) we had a strong discussion about the fact that we still have a chance to play against Brazil. There is no time to be depressed,” Kawamura told Nikkei Sports, translated on X.