There wasn't much for Memphis Grizzlies fans at the FedExForum to be excited about in the waning moments of Friday's 128–104 win over the Washington Wizards. That is, until 5'8" guard Yuki Kawamura checked into the game with 4:39 remaining in the fourth quarter.
And Kawamura didn't wait long to make an impact on the game. With under three minutes remaining, the Yanai, Yamaguchi, Japan, native drove into the lane, then delivered a perfectly timed behind-the-back bounce pass to Grizzlies center Jay Huff, who proceeded to slam the ball home. The crowd at FedExForum was instantly energized by the beautiful assist.
YUKI BEHIND-THE-BACK DIME.
— NBA (@NBA) November 9, 2024
Bench is hyped! pic.twitter.com/1NU9DMpZ9f
But Kawamura wasn't done yet.
Moments later, with Wizards guard Jared Butler defending, Kawamura stepped back and drilled a 26-foot three-pointer for the first basket of his NBA career. Grizzlies fans went wild.
Friday's game was just the seventh of Kawamura's career. He scored his first NBA points during Wednesday's win over the Lakers, draining both of his free-throw attempts, though Friday's game marked the first made field goal of his career.
Kawamura, who played for Team Japan in the Paris Olympics, signed a two-way contract with Memphis earlier in October. He is the shortest player in the NBA currently, and just the ninth player 5'8" or shorter to play in the NBA since 1976, according to ESPN.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Yuki Kawamura Scored First Career NBA Basket, and Grizzlies Crowd Went Wild.
