The Washington Wizards selected Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura with the No. 9 overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night, becoming the first player from Japan to be drafted into the league.
Hachimura, 21, is a 6-foot-9, 234-pound power forward with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. He played three seasons for Gonzaga, a mid-major power, and as a junior averaged 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Gonzaga was one of the few teams to beat Zion Williamson and Duke in 2018-19.
Hachimura grew up in Japan, the son of a Japanese mother and a father from the African country of Benin.