JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) – When Takumi Simon steps onto the hardwood at King Abdullah Sports City on Wednesday, he’ll be doing more than representing Guam. He’ll be helping make history.
"This means the world to all of us," said the 25-year-old Simon, one of the younger players on Guam’s FIBA Asia Cup 2025 roster. "We kind of pushed past that ceiling, but we can also take it further."
That ceiling was years in the making. Guam came up short in previous qualifying campaigns, including a heartbreaking loss to Chinese Taipei during the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 Qualifiers. However, this time, they punched through, earning their first-ever ticket to Asia’s biggest stage.
And for Simon, who also plays professionally in Japan’s B.League for the Shinshu Brave Warriors, the moment is not being taken for granted.
"Every opportunity to play international basketball is special," he said. "We can’t take it for granted. I’m doing that so far, and I’m looking forward to the games coming up."
One of those games is a tough Day 2 assignment: a group phase showdown against three-time Asia Cup champions Iran. The challenge is clear—size, experience and depth are all on Iran’s side. For Guam to stay competitive, they’ll need players like Simon to stretch the floor, stay composed and deliver on both ends.
In the Qualifiers, Simon did just that. He averaged 9.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers in six games, giving Guam a reliable wing threat with a quick release and steady motor. Now, he’ll need to rise to another level.
"We’ve all prepared for this moment. I can tell you, we’re all going to give 100%," Simon said. "Hopefully, we’ll advance to the next round."
But even before that, there’s a deeper purpose at play.
"Every game, we’re just going to give it our all," he said. "Mental prep, film, physical readiness—we’re locked in."
History begins now, and Simon’s ready to make it count.
FIBA