The Brooklyn Nets of the US men’s professional basketball (NBA) beat the Miami Heat 102-101 on the 9th. Including this game on the road, the Nets recently had a terrific 18 wins and 2 losses. Going into the season, Kyrie Irving (30) and Kevin Durant (34) didn’t get along, and it was a rough start with 2 wins and 5 losses (27 wins and 13 losses).
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The Brooklyn Nets of the US men’s professional basketball (NBA) beat the Miami Heat 102-101 on the 9th. Including this game on the road, the Nets recently had a terrific 18 wins and 2 losses. Going into the season, Kyrie Irving (30) and Kevin Durant (34) didn’t get along, and it was a rough start with 2 wins and 5 losses (27 wins and 13 losses).
Lubricating between the two superstars is Japanese player Yuta Watanabe, 28. Watanabe is posting 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. In particular, the success rate of well-timed 3-point shots reaches 52.7% (1.4 hits on 2.7 shots per game). Watanabe is even more valuable in defense. He has a typical NBA height of 2.3 cm and a weight of 98 kg, but he jumps laterally on the field to steal the ball and runs hard to block the opponent’s shot. The Nets began to improve in mid-November when Watanabe was guaranteed 20 minutes of play.
Many people say, “It’s encouraging that Watanabe is active in the NBA, which is said to be the ‘graveyard of Asians'”. Watanabe went to the NBA draft in 2018, but was not selected. After several squads, he made his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies. At first he was a “connector” who could only be released after the 4th quarter game was decided, but he honed his 3-point shooting weapon without hesitation and finally blossomed this season . “Watanabe is the best shooter in the world, and his accuracy shows,” Irving said. HoopsHype, a US basketball media outlet, praised Watanabe for “changing the stereotype of American basketball towards Asia”.
“I don’t think there were many people who expected me to play so much before the season – said Watanabe – My goal was just to be part of the team.” “Durant and the rest of the team kept telling me, ‘Shoot with confidence. That’s the key to being able to continue,'” he said.
Korean Lee Hyun-joon (23) = height 201cm =, who keeps challenging to enter the NBA from an American university, says he learned a lot from Watanabe, who has a similar physique. In a past interview, “Watanabe wasn’t selected for the draft and there was a possibility that he would go back to Japan, but he stayed in the US and finally found his place. I want to imitate him,” he said. .
Reporter Lee Young-bin
Chosun Ilbo / Chosun Ilbo Japanese version
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