Following the Wizards selecting Rui Hachimura with the ninth pick overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, here are reactions from media members and outlets around the league.
Jay Bilas (ESPN): “The second player from Japan to be drafted, and it’s a huge deal culturally. There are 46 media members representing 23 outlets from Japan. It is more than any other country besides the United States.
“His name means Baseball Bases. His grandfather was a huge baseball fan. [He] came to Gonzaga barely speaking English and acclimated himself quickly. Mark Few told me he’s such a polite guy that he was flabbergasted early on that sometimes his teammates will lie about fouls and the score in pickup games.