Nanae Yamano, 43, had never had a passport. She'd never been to the United States, let alone a playoff game involving her favorite NBA team … until Wednesday.
The Tokyo resident gasped and announced “Donovan Mitchell!” as the Jazz rookie came walking out for pregame warmups. She acknowledged reporters she follows on Twitter by first name before they could acknowledge her. It's Yamano, however, who's the celebrity.
Yamano's cartoon-styled drawings of Thunder players have gone viral. After the Wall Street Journal featured her in a piece entitled “The Oklahoma City Thunder's Biggest Fan Lives in Japan” in March, her name became known worldwide.