To-be Indiana Pacers signee Keisei Tominaga and Japan eliminated from Olympics in Group Play

The Indiana Pacers agreed to sign Keisei Tominaga to an Exhibit 10 contract in the future, as reported in many places and confirmed by the University of Nebraska. The sweet-shooting guard is headed to the pros.

But the 23-year old couldn't join the Pacers for summer league play or be in their orbit earlier in the offseason. Instead, he had other obligations — he was named to Japan's Men's Basketball Team for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The Japanese squad was announced just under one month ago.

Tominaga suited up alongside NBA players Yuta Watanabe and Rui Hachimura for the event. It was the second-straight Olympics that featured Japan in Men's Basketball — they were the host nation for the 2021 Olympic games. Tominaga had previous experience in both the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.

Japan played Germany, France, and Brazil during the Group Play round at the 2024 Olympics. Despite nearly taking down the hosts in France, Japan went 0-3 in the opening stage of the tournament. They have been eliminated regardless of what happens on Saturday in terms of results.

Germany and Brazil handled the Japanese side with ease, but Tominaga and company were mere seconds from a victory over the French side. A four-point play late in regulation changed everything and eliminated Japan's chance of reaching the quarter finals.