‘Giving Me Hope’: Grizzlies star inspires fans in NBA preseason after stunning performance against Pacers

“He plays bigger than he is. He drives through the paint, he tries to make plays, he tries to get to the rim.” Despite being the 9th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Zach Edey couldn’t help but be in awe of the rookie lining up next to him. Since Yuki Kawamura came to the Memphis Grizzlies on an exhibition 10 contract rather than the draft, initial expectations wouldn’t have been high. However, those fans who tried to downplay the player’s status may have forgotten that the 23-year-old won the MVP award during his tenure with Japanese franchise Yokohama B-Corsairs for good reason.

Today, visitors to Gainbridge Fieldhouse may have gotten a glimpse of just that reason, thanks to the unfortunate absence of Ja Morant. After the preseason game between the Grizzlies and the Pacers on Monday, Yuki Kawamura caused a stir with 10 points, 1 rebound and 7 assists. While his point total was quite a far cry from the 23 that both Zach Edey and Desmond Bane scored separately, it was a big increase from the low single digits he posted the previous season.

In addition, statistics are not everything, as the official Instagram account of shows “GD’s Highlights” featured the Japanese star’s best moment during the matchup. From an assist over his opponents’ heads to Maozinha Pereira to a memorable pass to Zach Edey that spun the other way in the final minute, the Japanese star contributed not through points but through memorable support from his teammates .

When he repeated the pass with Jay Huff, it was clear that the eyes of the NBA world would have been on him throughout the match. Although Kawamura didn’t emerge as the leading scorer in the Grizzlies’ 120-116 win, it didn’t take long for him to become an Internet sensation.

How did fans react to Yuki Kawamura’s NBA Preseason High Performance?

As soon as the clip of GD’s highlights was uploaded, reactions poured in from all sides. One fan said Yuki Kawamura’s performance was a sign that the Grizzlies could finally go in the direction they wanted. This prompted him to comment “He gives me hope”accompanied by a folded hands emoji.

Kawamura seemed to have become an inspiration to relatively minor basketball enthusiasts after helping defeat the Pacers. After all, no other reason could have motivated another social media user to comment “The level of proof doesn’t matter.”

At 5-foot-8, the Japanese player happens to be the same height as Jacob Gilyard, who is currently the shortest NBA player according to NBC, and Markquis Nowell, the shortest player for the 2023-24 season. With this assumption ‘Disadvantage’Kawamura had to compete against 1.90 meter tall players like Enrique Freeman. However, at the end of the match, Freeman was only able to score 6 points in 24 minutes. This was the perfect example of how size isn’t everything in basketball.

One person stated that the clip gave him a feeling of deja vu and wrote that he felt this way “Campazzo vibes.” This was a reference to Facundo Campazzo, the former Denver Nuggets point guard who currently plays for Real Madrid. At 1.75 meters tall, the player’s passing skills also earned him high praise from several people. Michael Malone even reportedly noted that the Nuggets appear to have two of the best passers in the world in Campazzo and Jokic. Campazzo’s ability to recover the ball on turnovers and immediately look up the court for quick scoring opportunities, lead the counterattack or find evasive passes from long range is something that even the 23-year-old could develop on his NBA journey.

Whether it was a play on his ethnicity or a general love of anime, one comment read “He looks like Kuroko!” were just one of many others that had the same reference or bore the GIF of the Japanese manga character. Tetsuya Kuroko is not only Japanese, but is also said to have one “fragile outlook and very small stature for a basketball player.” Similar to Kawamura, his physique is “That’s why you usually see him walking by“, with misdirections and passes being his specialty. For Kawamura, being associated with a manga character may be a greater honor than some realize.

Overall, the reaction to Yuki Kawamura and his performance was positive. While his previous performances may not have been as impressive, the Japanese player has recently shown why he deserves to be on the Grizzlies’ main roster.

Before you travel, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.