Two basketball forwards with Hawaii ties will compete for Japan at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Akira Jacobs, who is entering his sophomore season with the University of Hawaii, and Hugh Watanabe, who was known as Hugh Hogland as an ‘Iolani School student, made Japan’s final 12-player roster. Watanabe also was a member of Japan’s team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Jacobs is the first Rainbow Warrior to compete in the Olympics since guard Tom Henderson in 1972. Henderson had transferred from San Jacinto Junior College ahead of the ’Bows’ 1972-73 season. In 1974, Henderson was named to the All-America third team, and then was the Atlanta Hawks’ first-round selection in the NBA Draft.
“It’s still kind of hard to believe,” Jacobs said in a telephone interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “It’s always been a dream of mine. It’s pretty cool. The Olympics is the best of the best in the world. I think we have more work to do in the short amount of time. We’ll do our best to perform well in the competition.”
Jacobs, who grew up in Japan and California, has dual citizenship.
There were 24 players invited to the tryouts in Tokyo last month. The list then was pared to 16, with the final 12-player roster set after an exhibition game on Saturday.
“We’ve been following his progress, and he’s been checking in through the journey,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “What a special moment this is for him, for his family, for his country and, obviously for us — the university, the state, the people of Hawaii — taking us along for a pretty cool ride. … I know I speak for a lot of people around here when I say how proud we are of him.”
Watanabe, who grew up in Waimanalo, played college basketball for Portland and UC Davis.
Japan will play “friendlies” — exhibition games — against Finland, Serbia and Poland ahead of the Olympics. Japan opens against Germany, featuring Orlando Magic’s Franz and Moritz Wagner. After that, Japan will play France, led by Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert.
Former UH forward Zigmars Raimo is a member of Latvia’s Olympic 3-on-3 basketball team.