Photo credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Yuki Kawamura Wraps Up Season With a Career Night

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Aleksandar Mishkov | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 6:14 AM ET

Since the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA season, Yuki Kawamura has had one of the most interesting stories to follow. Labeled as the shortest guy in the league, the Japanese player made a huge deal just by making an NBA roster. Now, he wrapped up his first NBA regular season with a career night.

Yuki Kawamura Wraps Up Season With a Career Night

With the Memphis Grizzlies certain to be in the play-in, the team decided to rest almost every key player for their final regular season game. As a result, players who had been stuck on the bench got plenty of minutes.

Yuki Kawamura, for example, played 28 minutes and rewarded the team with a career-best night. He scored a career-high 12 points on 3-8 shooting from the floor. All of his made field goals came from behind the arc. He also went 3-3 from the free-throw line.

It was only the second time on the season that Kawamura scored 10+ points. His previous career-high was 10 points, against the Oklahoma City Thunder in late December. During that game, he made 4-5 field goals, including 2-3 from three-point range.

This time, in addition to his 12 points, Kawamura also dished five assists and grabbed five rebounds. He was +29 for the game, the second-highest plus-minus on the team.

Yuki’s Dazzling Assists

In the last game of the regular season, Kawamura had a career night, but one play made the highlight reel. It was not even a field goal, it was an assist. In the second quarter, with almost four minutes left, Kawamura stole a ball and then delivered an over-the-head pass to Marvin Beagley III. Ja Morant, his mentor and teammate, loved the play.

Kawamura has been showcasing his passing ability in the few moments he has received playing time entering Sunday. It was only fitting that his best highlight came via a pass in his career night.

Yuki Kawamura Season in a Nutshell

Kawamura played a total of 22 games, scoring 36 points, dishing 19 assists, and grabbing 12 rebounds. Not something to rave about. But he spent most of the time in the G League. That is where Kawamura was able to show off his skills.

In 24 regular season games for the Memphis Hustle, Kawamura averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. He shot 40% from the field, but 41% from behind the arc.

Kawamura is only 23 years old. There is no denying that he has a future in the league. If nothing else, it is to bring more Japanese fans to the game. The shortest player in the league has a huge fan following, making him a marketable star.

Just recently, ASICS released a video with Yuki. The shoe brand is nowhere to be found in the basketball world, but maybe Kawamura will be the guy to get them back there. ASICS is a true performance brand, and they might be re-entering the basketball world with the Japanese star.

He signed a two-way contract with Memphis at the beginning of the season. It was a one-year deal, He will be a restricted free agent this summer.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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