TOKYO (Kyodo) — Former NBA player Yuta Watanabe said Saturday he is trying to recover from a torn left calf muscle to play for Japan at the Paris Olympics.
“There is not much time left until the games, and it’s up in the air whether the injury will be healed in time,” Watanabe said in Tokyo, where he joined the national team the same day.
Watanabe, who spent six NBA seasons until 2023-24, revealed he sustained the injury in early June and aggravated it last week. The Olympics are scheduled to open on July 26.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura also spoke to the media Saturday — the first time since he was named to the national team’s provisional Olympics roster.
“We want to show how much we have grown as a team through the Olympics,” Hachimura said.
Japan will play Olympic warm-up games against South Korea on July 5 and 7 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.