TOKYO— The 2022 NBA Japan Games presented by Rakuten and Nissan will feature defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards playing two preseason games on Friday, September 30 at 7 p.m. JST and Sunday, October 2 at 2 p.m. JST at the Saitama Super Arena. The games will be broadcast live in Japan on NBA Rakuten, the NBA Rakuten YouTube channel and Rakuten TV, and in the United States on NBA TV and NBC Sports Washington.
In addition to the two games, NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan, to be held on Saturday, October 1 at 5 p.m. at Saitama Super Arena, will celebrate basketball and showcase the convergence of NBA and popular culture. for a unique fan experience.
Below is an overview of facts and figures regarding the NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten & Nissan:
1 – NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan will mark the first trip to Japan for the Warriors and Wizards.
2 – The Warriors will become the second defending NBA champion to play in Japan, after the then defending champion Toronto Raptors played at NBA Japan Games 2019.
3 – Three NBA legends – Richard Hamilton, Tim Hardaway and Dikembe Mutombo – will compete in NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 presented by Rakuten & Nissan.
6 – Warriors and Wizards training camp rosters feature combined six international players of six countries:
- Warriors (2): Jonathan Kuminga (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Andrew Wiggins (Canada).
- Wizards (4): Deni Avdija (Israel), Rui Hachimura (Japan), Kristaps Porziņģis (Latvia) and Makur Maker (South Sudan; Australia links).
9 – Rui Hachimura became the first Japanese player ever selected in the first round of the NBA draft when he was drafted ninth overall by the Wizards in 2019.
15 – This year’s NBA Japan Games and surrounding events are backed by a record 15 marketing partners: Rakuten, Nissan, 2K, American Express, Fellaz, Hennessy, Hokka, Instyle Group, NEC, Nike, Saitama Super Arena, SAP, ServiceNow, Sun Chlorella and Tissot.
16 – The NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan will be the NBA’s 15e and 16e games in Japan. The NBA’s first regular season game played outside the United States was in Japan in 1990 and marked the first regular season game played outside of North America by an American sports league.
20 – Since 2010, more than 20 Current and former NBA players have traveled to Japan to attend fan events, run youth basketball clinics and continue to grow the game in the country, including Stephen Curry and Draymond Green of the Warriors and Wizards’ Bradley Beal.
22 – There are a total of 22 All-Star appearances among players participating in NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan: Beal (3), Curry (8), Green (4), Porziņģis (1), Klay Thompson ( 5) and Wiggins (1).
22 – The Warriors (10) and Wizards (12) played a combined 22 North American away games ahead of NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan.
30 – On September 29, the NBA and Special Olympics Nippon hosted more than 30 Special Olympics athletes for an NBA Cares Special Olympics clinic featuring Warriors players and coaches.
34 – The presence of the NBA in Japan dates back to 34 years as NBA games and programming have been broadcast in Japan since the 1988-89 season.
60 – On Sept. 28, the NBA hosted a Her Time to Play clinic at the Minato Sports Center, which provided 60 young players with the opportunity to learn from former WNBA players Monica Rogers and Katrina Hibbert and Japanese Women’s National Team player Naho Miyoshi.
75 — Japanese-American Wataru Misaka became the first person of color to play in the NBA 75 a few years ago as a member of the New York Knicks in 1947.
150 – On October 1, Wizards will pack and deliver approximately 150 school supply kits to young people at a local orphanage in Tokyo.
200 – NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories around the world on television, digital media and social media.
700 – Officially licensed NBA merchandise is available in over 700 retail stores nationwide and through NBAStore.jp, the official NBA store in Japan.
55,400 – More … than 55,400 fans attended the 2019 NBA Japan Games, which featured two sold-out crowds, and the first NBA Fan Night at Saitama Super Arena.
1,600,000 – More … than 1.6 million Japan fans follow the NBA’s global and localized social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LINE and TikTok.
TOKYO— The 2022 NBA Japan Games presented by Rakuten and Nissan will feature defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards playing two preseason games on Friday, September 30 at 7 p.m. JST and Sunday, October 2 at 2 p.m. JST at the Saitama Super Arena. The games will be broadcast live in Japan on NBA Rakuten, the NBA Rakuten YouTube channel and Rakuten TV, and in the United States on NBA TV and NBC Sports Washington.
In addition to the two games, NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan, to be held on Saturday, October 1 at 5 p.m. at Saitama Super Arena, will celebrate basketball and showcase the convergence of NBA and popular culture. for a unique fan experience.
Below is an overview of facts and figures regarding the NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten & Nissan:
1 – NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan will mark the first trip to Japan for the Warriors and Wizards.
2 – The Warriors will become the second defending NBA champion to play in Japan, after the then defending champion Toronto Raptors played at NBA Japan Games 2019.
3 – Three NBA legends – Richard Hamilton, Tim Hardaway and Dikembe Mutombo – will compete in NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 presented by Rakuten & Nissan.
6 – Warriors and Wizards training camp rosters feature combined six international players of six countries:
- Warriors (2): Jonathan Kuminga (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Andrew Wiggins (Canada).
- Wizards (4): Deni Avdija (Israel), Rui Hachimura (Japan), Kristaps Porziņģis (Latvia) and Makur Maker (South Sudan; Australia links).
9 – Rui Hachimura became the first Japanese player ever selected in the first round of the NBA draft when he was drafted ninth overall by the Wizards in 2019.
15 – This year’s NBA Japan Games and surrounding events are backed by a record 15 marketing partners: Rakuten, Nissan, 2K, American Express, Fellaz, Hennessy, Hokka, Instyle Group, NEC, Nike, Saitama Super Arena, SAP, ServiceNow, Sun Chlorella and Tissot.
16 – The NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan will be the NBA’s 15e and 16e games in Japan. The NBA’s first regular season game played outside the United States was in Japan in 1990 and marked the first regular season game played outside of North America by an American sports league.
20 – Since 2010, more than 20 Current and former NBA players have traveled to Japan to attend fan events, run youth basketball clinics and continue to grow the game in the country, including Stephen Curry and Draymond Green of the Warriors and Wizards’ Bradley Beal.
22 – There are a total of 22 All-Star appearances among players participating in NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan: Beal (3), Curry (8), Green (4), Porziņģis (1), Klay Thompson ( 5) and Wiggins (1).
22 – The Warriors (10) and Wizards (12) played a combined 22 North American away games ahead of NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan.
30 – On September 29, the NBA and Special Olympics Nippon hosted more than 30 Special Olympics athletes for an NBA Cares Special Olympics clinic featuring Warriors players and coaches.
34 – The presence of the NBA in Japan dates back to 34 years as NBA games and programming have been broadcast in Japan since the 1988-89 season.
60 – On Sept. 28, the NBA hosted a Her Time to Play clinic at the Minato Sports Center, which provided 60 young players with the opportunity to learn from former WNBA players Monica Rogers and Katrina Hibbert and Japanese Women’s National Team player Naho Miyoshi.
75 — Japanese-American Wataru Misaka became the first person of color to play in the NBA 75 a few years ago as a member of the New York Knicks in 1947.
150 – On October 1, Wizards will pack and deliver approximately 150 school supply kits to young people at a local orphanage in Tokyo.
200 – NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten and Nissan will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories around the world on television, digital media and social media.
700 – Officially licensed NBA merchandise is available in over 700 retail stores nationwide and through NBAStore.jp, the official NBA store in Japan.
55,400 – More … than 55,400 fans attended the 2019 NBA Japan Games, which featured two sold-out crowds, and the first NBA Fan Night at Saitama Super Arena.
1,600,000 – More … than 1.6 million Japan fans follow the NBA’s global and localized social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LINE and TikTok.