Who is Yudai Baba? New York Knicks sign Japanese talent for Summer League squad

Yudai Baba’s overseas career

Born in Toyama, Japan, Baba is a 29-year-old guard who has amassed a wealth of experience playing outside of the NBA.

He is officially listed at 6’5″ and weighs about 198lbs, known for his ever-so-athletic “Baba Boom” dunks.

Speaking of his overseas career, Baba has spent two seasons in the NBL in Australia, where he averaged 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field and 29.8% from the three-point line.

While Baba certainly needs to work on his shooting from deep, it hasn’t stopped him from being a mainstay in the Japanese National Team.

He has represented them in two FIBA World Cups and the Olympics, where Baba put up 7.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. The talented guard also shot a much better 47.3% from the field and 38.7% from the three-point line.

Yudai Baba already has NBA G-League and Summer League experience

Although the 29-year-old sensation has never earned an NBA contract, he has shown his skills during the NBA G League on two separate occasions.

While Baba’s numbers do not massively stand out, he has certainly improved as a player in recent years. It’s no surprise that the Knicks have extended an invite to him for the Las Vegas Summer League.

Aside from shining in the G League, Baba also attended training camp with the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season.

He was on the roster with the likes of Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith. However, Baba’s unimpressive 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in the Summer League led to the Mavs waiving the Japanese guard.

Now, as a more polished player, it will be interesting to see if Baba can impress the Knicks and earn a spot on one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA.