Japanese players in the NBA

[Nike D'Antoni]

Yuta Watanabe - Raptors
Rui Hachimura - Wizards

How would each fan describe their performances?

[highwhey]

@mrfonzworth

[tpols]

The lack of diversity in the NBA is really appalling. There are billions of asians... and none of them make it. And basketball is huge in China.

[Nike D'Antoni]

The lack of diversity in the NBA is really appalling. There are billions of asians... and none of them make it. And basketball is huge in China.

I also know it's huge in the Philippines. Since Yao Ming no chinese talent, but Japan looks like producing talent now.


No idea about Korea.

[Gohan]

Well Chinese players like to dribble too much

[72-10]

The lack of diversity in the NBA is really appalling. There are billions of asians... and none of them make it. And basketball is huge in China.

It's a conundrum since a great many Asians are very physically skilled. I think some choose not to play in the league for reasons that are not necessarily basketball related. For instance, some might struggle to learn English well, and it's necessary for the job. Hakeem barely spoke English at an eighth grade level, though, but he was a top five player in the world when he played. Another paragon like this is Japanese baseball star Ichiro Suzuki, who was clearly top five in the world at the time from his first season in MLB. What's unclear is if Ichiro was top five before he joined the AL, although that doesn't matter. Or David Ortiz (but Ortiz was not top five in the world except maybe his last season in MLB). Another reason is probably that many do not care to cross a gigantic ocean to reach the Americas. They also might think the wage is unjust. There could be other reasons, it's hard to say.

I wouldn't say none, though - there's Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin.

[NBAGOAT]

It's a conundrum since a great many Asians are very physically skilled. I think some choose not to play in the league for reasons that are not necessarily basketball related. For instance, some might struggle to learn English well, and it's necessary for the job. Hakeem barely spoke English at an eighth grade level, though, but he was a top five player in the world when he played. Another paragon like this is Japanese baseball star Ichiro Suzuki, who was clearly top five in the world at the time from his first season in MLB. What's unclear is if Ichiro was top five before he joined the AL, although that doesn't matter. Or David Ortiz (but Ortiz was not top five in the world except maybe his last season in MLB). Another reason is probably that many do not care to cross a gigantic ocean to reach the Americas. They also might think the wage is unjust. There could be other reasons, it's hard to say.

I wouldn't say none, though - there's Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin.

i get what tpols is trying to bait here with his comment but one simple thing that gets overlooked is height plays a big factor in being good at basketball. the average height of of an american white is 5'10 and american black is 5'9. For an american asian and hispanic(2nd is also very underrepresented in the nba) it's 5'7. similar averages in china and japan

[FKAri]

The lack of diversity in the NBA is really appalling. There are billions of asians... and none of them make it. And basketball is huge in China.

China's still ironing out the details of their CRISPR program. Once it's up and running they'll probably send a couple guys to the NBA just to advertise Chinese superiority before the CBA devours the NBA's market share entirely.

[72-10]

you might have a point to the extent that it discourages some of the field from pursuing an occupation with such a bad Expected Value (btw, pretty sure the average African-American man's height is the same as a white American man, that is 5'10"), but many basketball players comprise the outliers among the populations of the world, so they're still pretty tall, and yet, you're probably right that relative to the NBA's average height many great Asian basketball players are not at least the NBA's average height. Height is pretty important in basketball. Some people figure out ways to really maximize their height.

What is more puzzling is that there is not a plethora of Asians in the NBA's developmental league.

[Axe]

The lack of diversity in the NBA is really appalling. There are billions of asians... and none of them make it. And basketball is huge in China.
They may be many but how many of them do you think are around or above 1.85m tall? Because if they get to play in this league today, then most active players that we see rn are just going to tower over them. So take that into consideration as well.

[highwhey]

China's still ironing out the details of their CRISPR program. Once it's up and running they'll probably send a couple guys to the NBA just to advertise Chinese superiority before the CBA devours the NBA's market share entirely.

:oldlol:

[tpols]

It's a conundrum since a great many Asians are very physically skilled. I think some choose not to play in the league for reasons that are not necessarily basketball related. For instance, some might struggle to learn English well, and it's necessary for the job. Hakeem barely spoke English at an eighth grade level, though, but he was a top five player in the world when he played. Another paragon like this is Japanese baseball star Ichiro Suzuki, who was clearly top five in the world at the time from his first season in MLB. What's unclear is if Ichiro was top five before he joined the AL, although that doesn't matter. Or David Ortiz (but Ortiz was not top five in the world except maybe his last season in MLB). Another reason is probably that many do not care to cross a gigantic ocean to reach the Americas. They also might think the wage is unjust. There could be other reasons, it's hard to say.

I wouldn't say none, though - there's Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin.

Ichiro was like a samurai with the baseball bat. Japanese are a different level of excellence.

[tpols]

They may be many but how many of them do you think are around or above 1.85m tall? Because if they get to play in this league today, then most active players that we see rn are just going to tower over them. So take that into consideration as well.

There are tons of NBA guards at barely over 6 feet. Even superstars. It's a culture thing. They aren't accepted into the brotherhood and there's stereotypes against them on the climb up.

[Axe]

There are tons of NBA guards at barely over 6 feet. Even superstars. It's a culture thing. They aren't accepted into the brotherhood and there's stereotypes against them on the climb up.
I know but guards aren't the only existing position in this sport. Don't forget about forwards and center too. Btw, not talking about their ethnicity here. I'm referring to their physical traits.

[Xiao Yao You]

Well Chinese players like to dribble too much

Bigger problem has been the physicality of the league. Chinese are naturally more passive people. Sun Yue, Yi Jian Lian, Bateer and Wang Zhi Zhi all had plenty of skill. Even Yao didn't have the mentality for the league as good as he was. He got better at it with time

[Xiao Yao You]

They may be many but how many of them do you think are around or above 1.85m tall? Because if they get to play in this league today, then most active players that we see rn are just going to tower over them. So take that into consideration as well.

Chinese are getting bigger now that they aren't starving

[tpols]

Bigger problem has been the physicality of the league. Chinese are naturally more passive people. Sun Yue, Yi Jian Lian, Bateer and Wang Zhi Zhi all had plenty of skill. Even Yao didn't have the mentality for the league as good as he was. He got better at it with time

That's an interesting perspective. Basketball as you ascend the ranks does tend to become just a battle of who can physically knock the shit out of each other. A game of overt violence. I remember Yi on the Nets and he had tremendous skill but like you said he didn't have the toughness. Basketball here seems to favor guys that can just smash their way through.


Chinese are getting bigger now that they aren't starving

I remember reading an article that Chinese were rationed something like a double quarter pounder a month per person up until recent times. They weren't allowed the protein to grow.

[Axe]

Chinese are getting bigger now that they aren't starving
They're probably evolving in terms of size although when i said that, i wasn't talking about the chinese only. The asians as a whole.

[Marchesk]

The Middle East is in Asia.

https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/asia.htm

[Xiao Yao You]

That's an interesting perspective. Basketball as you ascend the ranks does tend to become just a battle of who can physically knock the shit out of each other. A game of overt violence. I remember Yi on the Nets and he had tremendous skill but like you said he didn't have the toughness. Basketball here seems to favor guys that can just smash their way through.



I remember reading an article that Chinese were rationed something like a double quarter pounder a month per person up until recent times. They weren't allowed the protein to grow.

There was a time when they were lucky to have rice, cabbage and soup. I saw old ladies picking weeds near where I lived. I imagine they learned what they could eat during the hard times

[Xiao Yao You]

They're probably evolving in terms of size although when i said that, i wasn't talking about the chinese only. The asians as a whole.

Yeah I'm mostly familiar with Chinese

[DoctorP]

They are so bad they must commit seppuku now!

[Axe]

They are so bad they must commit seppuku now!
Permaban time :coleman:

[DoctorP]

Permaban time :coleman:
Meltdown

[Axe]

Meltdown
Shookt!

[DoctorP]

Shookt!

Why so melty

[Axe]

Why so melty
No you!