SHENYANG (China) - In yet another layer to a storied rivalry, two Asian stars will headline the rematch between China and Japan in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers' third window this Friday.
For the first time, Yuta Watanabe and Yang Hansen - former and present NBA pros - are bound to meet each other in the FIBA stage when the long-time rivals duke it out at the Liaoning Gymnasium here in Shenyang.
Needless to say, these two have inspired countless fans all across the continent with how far they've come in their respective careers, thus the excitement surrounding their returns to national team competitions.
Who you got?
Back in the fold
Yang himself is back with Team Dragon for the first time since the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers, although this return of his has been awaited by many after coming off a rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
There, he played for a total of 47 games - the skilled big man spent some time with the Rip City Remix of the G-League and became part of the Rising Stars Challenge of the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
This is going to be only his second tour of duty with the men's team, but now carrying with him lessons and experiences and whatnot from the Association - a place where Watanabe thrived not so long ago.
For starters, the 31-year-old played in the NBA for six seasons and established himself as an elite shooting wing before deciding to go back home to Japan and resume his career with the Chiba Jets in the B.League.
And since returning, the George Washington University product has reinforced the program in major competitions, from the prestigious 2024 Paris Summer Olympics in France to now in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers.
Score to settle
But between the two, it's Watanabe who has an axe to grind. The last time he played against China led to a loss - and a heartbreaking one, too. They coughed up a 15-point lead and ultimately yielded to an 87-80 result.
The lefty gunner did play decently with 13 points and 6 rebounds plus an assist, a steal, and a block each, but that was no consolation whatsoever as they still lost. Worse, they lost in their very own turf in Tokyo.
That defeat also foiled their bid of going 3-0 but the Japanese have since rebounded by venting their ire on Korea not long after, 78-72, with Watanabe himself contributing 15 points and 6 rebounds plus 3 assists.
So far, he's averaging 15.5 points on 47.2-percent shooting from the field, alongside 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. His best showing to date, in case you're wondering, was a 20-5-5 outing in a win versus Chinese Taipei.
Will we see a stupendous performance against Team China this Friday? That's an intriguing watch.
Breakout time?
While Watanabe has proven himself steady whenever facing China, Yang has yet to submit a good game against the Japanese. Take a look at his 2025 Asia Cup Qualifiers campaign and that would tell a lot.
In the six games he played, two were against Japan. His total? Only 2 points, which he scored in a 76-73 defeat in their first meeting - the country's first loss to Japan in a major international meet in 88 years.
He went scoreless in their second encounter although he hardly needed to contribute much, as the Chinese cruised to an easy 100-58 victory witnessed by a solid home crowd at the Shenzhen Sports Center.
Despite those tough outings, it remained a solid run for him all in all. He finished the Asia Cup Qualifiers with averages of 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and a block in 14.6 minutes of playing time.
But for sure, there's that desire within him to perform better specifically against Japan, and there's no better time for him to do so than this Friday as they also try to boost their bid of reaching the Second Round.
More flavor
As exciting as these two are, there remains plenty others worth watching in this particular rivalry affair.
On one side, there's former NBL campaigner Makoto Hiejima potentially going up against Jacky Cui, who's known for his stint with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2024-25 season despite being undrafted.
Then there's also Keisei Tominaga and Wang Junjie. Both of them are legit NCAA D1 talents - the lefty sniper played for Nebraska, while the sweet-shooting forward has just transferred to UMass from San Francisco recently.
And lest we forget the much-awaited matchup inside between Josh Hawkinson and Hu Jinqiu, both of which have emerged as integral pieces of their respective teams given the presence they provide as leading bigs.
There's truly a lot of spice in this upcoming clash but at the end of the day, it's all about who emerges triumphant, given as well what's at stake in this particular matchup - a ticket to the Second Round, to be precise.
As mentioned one too many times, it remains a wide-open race in all of Group B as all four teams are still in contention, and so it would be interesting to see how this latest chapter of a famed rivalry shall unfold.
And how crucial it would be in shaping up the next round.
FIBA