Dec 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Yuki Kawamura (17) dribbles the ball against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

NBA Superstar’s Yuki Kawamura Statement Goes Viral

Originally posted on Memphis Grizzlies on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated Dec 30, 2024 12:19 AM ET

When NBA fans think of the most popular players on the Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant is easily at the top of that list for most fans. The former second-overall pick has nearly 10 million followers on Instagram and almost three million on X. However, there's a player on the team who despite not putting up the biggest of numbers has a massive following from overseas.

While the Grizzlies have been seeing great success from rookies Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, rookie guard Yuki Kawamura has made a name for himself being one of two active Japanese players in the NBA. Despite getting most of his run in the G League, Kawamura's performance on Sunday night earned a shoutout from an NBA superstar.

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Standing at just 5-foot-8, Kawamura is tied for the shortest active NBA player with former Grizzlies guard Jacob Gilyard. Only ten other players in NBA history have been listed as shorter than Kawamura.

The clip of Gilgeous-Alexander continues to go viral across social media, with hundreds of thousands of impressions on X and Tik Tok.

This article first appeared on Memphis Grizzlies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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