TOKYO (Japan) - Ever since 2017, Japan basketball has been on a rise. There are obviously multiple factors that are in play for this rapid development, but it's undeniable that one of those factors is the appointing of Julio Lamas as the head coach of the national team program.

"My first impression was that we had to add great height in all the positions," Lamas said in a recent interview with @FIBAAsiaCup on Instagram Live. "We had to improve our athletic abilities and we had to build our own style of play. These three things were my first impressions when I came to Japan."

The expectations were high, but if there was going to be someone who was suited to exceed those expectations, it was a legendary coach like Lamas.

"I would say [I was a] passionate player," Lamas described himself on the court. "I liked to drive and I was a good shooter, but I was not tall and not very athletic, too. This was my style of play."

Young Lamas clearly had a lot of passion for the game and that passion took an interesting turn to the sidelines early on. Even when he was a teenager, he was already eager to teach and pass on his knowledge to others.

"There were two important moments [that led me to coaching]," he recalled. "When I was 18 years old, I started to teach academies with young players in my club. Then, when I was 22 years old, I became the assistant coach to León Najnudel in the Argentina national league for SC Cañadense. These two moments are very important in my decision [to become a coach]."

Lamas stepped up as the head coach in 1988, the start of a long and legendary career as one of the most prolific head coaches in basketball history. One of his most notable stints was his time coaching the Argentina national team, including the "Golden Generation" that featured the likes of Manu Ginobili among others.

"Being a part of that group was beautiful and amazing. I feel lucky and proud of that, it was very special for me."

His opportunities at the sidelines also allowed him to engage in tactical battles with some of the best coaches in the world. In turn, those games has helped elevate his status into being one of the best to call the shots as well.

"Many, many coaches," Lamas said of his great opponents he's faced in his career. "I have coached against many great coaches. In Argentina, Sergio Hernandez, Flor Meléndez,. In Spain in the ACB League, Sergio Scariolo, [among other]. Internationally, Zeljko Obradovic, Helio Rubens, David Blatt, Vincent Collet, Mike Krzyzewski, Gregg Popovic. Many, many good coaches."

Going up against those coaches, Lamas got himself exclusive front row seats to some memorable games throughout his career.

"Fun games with Argentina in 1999, 2011, and 2012, games with these teams."

"San Lorenzo against the Toronto Raptors in 2017," he said referring to his time coaching the Argentina league giants.

And, of course, these is one more game that is still fresh in the memories of Asia basketball fans.

"The [World Cup Qualifiers] game with Japan and Australia in 2018 was also fun, too. These I remember very well."

Japan were winless heading into their World Cup Qualifiers game against Australia on June 29. They were looking from outside of the bubble to qualify for the World Cup, going against a team that had breezed through the Asia Cup no more than a year earlier.

However, with Rui Hachimura and Nick Fazekas making their senior national team debuts, the tables were about to turn around quickly. Japan went on to pull off the major upset, 79-78, before blazing on an 8-game winning streak to seal World Cup Qualification for the first time since 2006. They have only gotten better and better since then.

"We had improved in several aspects like I mentioned before like our size. Our conditioning had improved. The use of legal contacts, too. We improved and playing under pressure. Because the B.League keep growing and that also helped the Japan national team. Really, Japan basketball is growing in this time, step by step, but is growing up."

At the center of this rise is the promising trio of youngsters that are currently plying their trades outside of the islands of Japan: Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards), Yuta Watanabe (Toronto Raptors), and Yudai Baba (Melbourne United).

"They are essential. Hachimura, Watanabe, and Baba are essential in this program. They have defied history playing in the NBA and Australia and I hope that this desire to challenge the history will spread to the whole national team."

Nonetheless, coach Lamas still wants to hold off the wild expectations and comparisons as the main job is to create an identity of their own for the Japan national team.

"…Maybe this is the best Japan national team in history but does that not make us a 'Golden Generation' or a 'Dream Team'. There is only one 'Dream Team' and that is the United States team [from 1992]," he said with a smile.

"I don't usually compare Argentina with Japan, because they are very different. Here we have built a program for the Japan national team, finding our own style, and we are developing this program."

The upcoming window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers will be the final chance to claim a spot at Asia Cup 2021. Japan will be playing all of their 5 games in this span against the likes of China, Chinese Taipei, and Malaysia.

"We will have to do a few things but do them well. Play without fail and I think we have a good chance to qualify."

Aside from the shorter term vision of building the team for Asia Cup qualification and the Asia Cup itself, Japan also has their targets set on many other major competitions in the future. It is even more important to prepare their best teams for these games as they will playing as hosts both for the Olympics and FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

"Playing against the best teams in the world is an opportunity to grow," Lamas emphasized. "The World Cup in China, the Olympic games, and the World Cup in 2023 represents the return of Japan to the world competitions. This is very important for the development of basketball in Japan. I believe that after the World Cup in 2023, Japan basketball will be much better than in 2017 when this program started."

Julio Lamas might be a bit biased as the head coach of the Japan national team program himself. However, when you have nearly 4 decades of experience coaching at a high level all over the world like Lamas does, your statements tend to have a bit more weight.

"I think that Japan basketball will be better. The B.Legaue will be better with more fans and more players in other categories. I am optimistic  because the national team and the B.League keep growing in the last years step by step."

"I am very optimistic."

FIBA