TOKYO (Japan) - The wait was totally worth it for Japan and their faithful as Rui Hachimura powered the proud program to a dominant sweep of Window 4 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
For those uninitiated, it was the NBA forward's first AKATSUKI JAPAN campaign in 2 years, or since the 2024 Paris Olympics in which the team made a good account of themselves against some of the world's best.
And this most recent window has made fans and observers alike wonder if this was his best run in the World Cup Qualifiers thus far, having played in this same competition a couple of times in the past.
Is it? Let's take a look at the numbers and see.
Window 4 of the World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers
Japan finished this window with massive wins against Saudi Arabia and Qatar, in that order, and Hachimura himself proved to be the biggest difference as he scored almost 60 points across those games.
Turning the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah into practically his vert own playground, the 28-year-old erupted for 29 big points to beat the Saudis in a truly loud statement of his return to FIBA competitions.
Expectations were of course high on him entering their bout against the 2027 World Cup hosts in Tokyo and he didn't disappoint; in fact he even upped the ante by firing 30 as he helped lead the hot start.
And a common denominator of these outings was his perfect starts. He made his first 6 shots for 18 points in the first half against Saudi Arabia, and then went 5-for-5 from 3 for 19 points against Team Qatar.
Window 3 of the World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers
But of course, as impressive as his latest run was, we cannot forget all about Window 3 of the 2019 World Cup Qualifiers, in which he played a role so crucial in helping Japan pull off an upset of epic proportions.
Then playing for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Hachimura finished with 24 points and 7 rebounds as the Japanese escaped a loaded Australia by the skin of their teeth, 79-78, before their own fans at the Chiba Port Arena.
It's worth noting that they beat a Boomers team that had Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker, and emerging triumphant against such a squad would turn things around for the better for the East Asian contenders.
That win marked the start of a hot 8-game winning streak, completely changing their fortunes after starting the World Cup Qualifiers with 4 straight losses. The result? A ticket to the World Cup proper in China.
Window 4 of the World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers
And half of that truly impressive winning streak was thanks to Hachimura.
He suited up in the window that followed to open their Second round campaign, and continued his exploits. Japan beat Kazakhstan and Iran in convincing fashion and the Toyama-native himself starred on both Ws.
Hachimura averaged 24.5 points and 7.0 rebounds for a 26.5 efficiency in standout performances which further showed how valuable the 2.03 M (6'8")-tall hooper would be for the men's team in the coming years.
Window 4 was yet another proof of it.
FIBA