TOKYO (Japan) - The stars are aligning for Japan as Rui Hachimura and Yuki Kawamura have joined the traditional contenders' training camp for Window 4 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
The NBA players were included to the 17-man list made public by the Japan Basketball Association (JBA) on Tuesday, August 11, sparking excitement as the proud program seemingly plans to ramp things up.
The August 27-31 games marks the start of the Second Round, and the previous World Cup co-hosts are coming in as one of its best teams after going 5-1 in Group B back in the First Round.
But apparently, the Japanese do not feel content. They are currently forming what could potentially be the strongest pool they've put together in the current World Cup Qualifiers, led by their two stars.
Among the notable names in the stacked roster include former NBA veteran Yuta Watanabe, Yuki Togashi, Yudai Baba, Keisei Tominaga, Yuto Kawashima, and First Round MVP Josh Hawkinson.
These players were already part of Japan's vast 53-man pool they announced last May 1, in preparation for a busy summer ahead in which a total of three major international competitions are listed in their calendar.
After the third window last July, the team is now in the middle of its buildup for the new window ahead, and will then turn their attention to the 20th Asian Games in September, which the country will be hosting.
But Window 4 is going down as the most anticipated of them all, given the star power that the squad made for that particular stint possesses - and the potential lineup head coach Dai Oketani could have at his disposal.
Plus, Hachimura and Kawamura's inclusion, should they make the final 12-man lineup, could offer a glimpse of what's to come when they link up in the Association for the 2026-27 season.
Kawamura has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Clippers last August 9, just a month after the franchise inked Hachimura to a 2-year, $28 million contract via free agency.
The last time these two teamed up was during the 2024 Paris Olympics and Window 4 would be a chance for them to connect on the court once again.
Also, it will be interesting to see the kind of dynamic he'd be creating with Oketani, who took over the coaching reins from Tom Hovasse last February as the JBA went with one of the most successful coaches locally.
Hachimura has finally rejoined the team just in time for the Softbank Cup at home, in which they will be taking on another Second Round-bound team in Korea in a pair of exhibition games as part of their preparations.
Japan are in Group F in the Second Round and will be taking on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Lebanon.
FIBA