Yuki Kawamura made an introduction to the world stage by outplaying NBA players, most notably Victor Wembanyama, the French Rookie of the Year winner for the previous season. He was not only too fast for everybody else, but he also put up numbers that would impress any basketball fan. He became the center of attention as the shortest player on the court but also the best player on the court. That is, at the Olympics. Before that, he turned heads at the 2023 World Cup against Finland when he scored 25 points, making crucial shots that ultimately secured Japan's win. It was the first time Japan had ever defeated a European team in a competition.
Kawamura is undersized. Standing at only 5' 8, he relies heavily on his superior speed and footwork against the opposing team. He is a pain to guard because of his endurance, durability, and top-notch speed. He is very quick on his feet, which he uses to drive inside and go for an easy layup. His layups are hard to block because he is quick on his ball release from the jump. He makes the player guarding him tired. This is what separates him from many other players. He can go on and on without seemingly losing wind. It is actually quite remarkable.
The Memphis Grizzlies signed Kawamura to an Exhibit-10 contract worth over a million for one year early in September. This allows the team to convert the contract into a two-way contract, meaning he can play for the NBA squad and the G-League squad, pending it happens before the regular NBA season begins. There are other obligations, of course. If he stays with the team 15 days after the beginning of the season, his contract becomes a standard minimum deal, which could impact the actual salary cap.
Imagine the cheers he will get from the fans the moment they announce his name to enter the game. The world loves an underdog story. At 5'8, average people can relate to people like Kawamura. It is not like the average height in the U.S. is 6'6, which is the average height of an NBA player in the 2022-2023 season. People just don't relate to them. But he can most definitely relate to average people. And people root for short, underdog players like him. To see a player his size, an average Joe, succeed is to see a message of inspiration that indeed anything is possible. Yes, I can play in the NBA. I don't need to be gigantic to do so.
On October 1st, a recreated photo of Mugsy Bogues (5'3) and Manute Bol (7'7) was posted on the "X" social media platform. This time, it featured Yuki Kawamura (5'8) and Zack Edey (7'4). It is not quite such a staggering height difference as Mugsy and Manute, but rather a significant difference nonetheless. Whenever something like this surfaces, I am often hesitant to get excited; however, it opens speculation as to whether the Grizzlies are thinking of keeping Kawamura for longer than a year. It seems inappropriate to post something so noticeable and obvious if the purpose was not to bring attention to or market the tandem as a great duo. It would just confuse or even disappoint many people if that was not the attention at all. Only time will tell if indeed Kawamura becomes a long-term member of the Memphis Grizzlies.