AHMEDABAD (India) - No wonder Aru Takahashi is growing into a solid marksman himself.
The 1.87 M (6'1") combo guard has emerged as one of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026's top gunners, and that's mainly because he aspires to be like his idol who's known in the international stage for his impeccable shooting.
I'm inspired by Makoto Hiejima.
Makoto Hiejima has been one of Japan's most reliable cogs for 13 years now and he's been to basketball's biggest stage multiple times, from the FIBA Basketball World Cup to the Olympic Summer Games.
The 36-year-old gained fame during the 2023 World Cup which the country co-hosted, particularly during the Classification Round when he starred in their 86-77 victory over Venezuela at the Okinawa Arena.
There, he erupted for 17 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, powering his side's comeback from 15 down en route to a victory so crucial as it eventually helped the men's team clinch a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At the time, Takahashi was just 15 when his hero - who's also a BCL Asia champion - was becoming a hot topic all across social media for his exploits, so much so that major outlets such as Bleacher Report took notice.
And the month after that highly successful World Cup, Takahashi would experience what 'Mako' had during his younger years, as he was named part of the Japan team that competed in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup.
Hiejima himself competed in the 2008 U18 Asia Cup in Iran and Takahashi himself would eventually get to that level, too, as he's now playing in the very same event - three years since first playing for the youth team.
Not just simply playing, but delivering the goods as well.
As mentioned, the Kaishi Kokusai High School standout has established himself as one of the ongoing tourney's top shooters, with a 48.3-percent accuracy from deep behind 2.8 makes and 5.8 attempts per game.
So far, he's averaging 10.6 points, having played his best showings in their last two outings - Takahashi dropped 19 against Korea to end the Group Phase, and then 13 in their ouster of Qatar in the Quarter-Finals' play-in.
That game against the Qataris showed how important he is to the team, scoring 9 to power the decisive 11-2 run toward a 75-64 lead with 2:32 remaining, including a heave from way downtown to beat the buzzer.
"When I shot that three-point, I was thinking, 'I might make this.' That was like a last second, so I got to shoot it," he reflected on that shot, which he actually pulled off and sank during the aforementioned stretch.
Shooting has indeed been his bread-and-butter but Takahashi isn't doing it all for himself. It's his way to say his thanks to his teammates - or rather brothers-in-arms - for their conscious effort in finding him.
"My mindset is that... the other four guys are creating space for me, that's why I can shoot. Me making shots means an appreciation for my teammates," said the 18-year-old.
FIBA