Hachimura's Criticisms of JBA Cause Stir in Japan Basketball

   Tokyo, Dec. 4 (Jiji Press)--Recent remarks by Japanese basketball star Rui Hachimura voicing discontent toward the Japan Basketball Association and the national team have caused a stir in the country's basketball world.
   The JBA has said that there was "miscommunication" between it and the player from the Los Angeles Lakers in the U.S. National Basketball Association. JBA leader Yuko Mitsuya has signaled that the association will create a new post in charge of liaising with Japanese players in the United States.
   Hachimura first expressed dissatisfaction with the Japanese men's national team, nicknamed Akatsuki Japan, on Nov. 13, saying, "I don't want to say this much, but I don't like the way the national team does things."
   He also took issue with the JBA's decision to retain Tom Hovasse as the team's head coach, expressing hope for the appointment of someone who understood the men's game and had coached professionally. Hovasse mainly coached women's teams before taking on his current role.
   "(The JBA leadership) is prioritizing thinking about their own interests, not putting players first," Hachimura said on Nov. 23. "I don't want to play for the national team under such a policy," he continued, suggesting that he may not represent Japan at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

(2024/12/04-17:19)

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