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2019 NBA Draft: Japanese media is really, REALLY excited about Rui Hachimura playing for the Wizards

Wizards forward Rui Hachimura has had a hectic couple of days. Like other lottery picks, Hachimura did many interviews and had to travel by train last-minute from New York City to Washington. But unlike most NBA Draft picks who come from the United States, Hachimura is from Toyama, a city about a five-and-a-half hour and 270-mile drive away from Tokyo.

Hachimura is the first Japanese NBA player to be drafted in the first round. In a country that is better known for producing baseball stars than basketball ones, this is the biggest sports news in Japan.