“He plays bigger than he is. He drives in the paint, he’s trying to make plays, he’s trying to get to the rim.” Despite himself being the 9th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, Zach Edey couldn’t help but be in awe of the rookie who joined alongside him. Having joined the Memphis Grizzlies through an Exhibition 10 contract and not the draft, initial expectations would not have been high for Yuki Kawamura. However, those fans who were attempting to downplay the player’s status may have forgotten that the 23-year-old won the MVP award during his tenure with Japan’s Yokohama B-Corsairs franchise for a reason.

Today, attendees at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse may have gotten a glimpse of that very reason, thanks to Ja Morant‘s unfortunate absence. In the aftermath of the Grizzlies-Pacers preseason game that took place on Monday, Yuki Kawamura made heads turn by recording 10 points, 1 rebound, and 7 assists to his name. While his total points were quite far away from the 23 that both Zach Edey and Desmond Bane have separately, it was a big rise from the low single digits he had been scoring in the preseason.

Furthermore, stats aren’t everything, as seen when the official Instagram account of ‘GD’s Highlights’ featured the Japanese star’s best moment during the matchup. From making an assist over the top of his opponents’ heads to Maozinha Pereira to making a memorable pass to Zach Edey by turning in the opposite direction at the last minute, the Japanese star was contributing not through points but by aiding his teammates memorably.

When he repeated the pass with Jay Huff too, it was evident that the eyes of the NBA world would have kept flickering back to him throughout the matchup. As a result, even though Kawamura did not emerge from the Grizzlies’ 120-116 win as the lead scorer, it didn’t take him long to become a sensation on the internet.

How did fans react to Yuki Kawamura’s NBA Preseason High Performance?

No sooner had the clip from GD’s Highlights been uploaded when reactions started to pour in from all sides. One fan felt that Yuki Kawamura’s performance was a sign that the Grizzlies may finally be heading in the desired direction. This caused him to comment “He’s giving me hope”, accompanied by a folded hands emoji.

Kawamura seemed to have become an inspiration for relatively short basketball enthusiasts after helping defeat the Pacers. After all, no other reason might have compelled another social media user to remark “Proof height don’t matter.”

At 5-foot-8, the Japanese player happens to be of the same height as Jacob Gilyard, who is reported by NBC to be the shortest NBA player right now, and Markquis Nowell, the shortest player of the 2023-24 season. With this supposed ‘disadvantage’, Kawamura had to go up against the likes of 6-foot-7 players like Enrique Freeman. By the end of the matchup, however, Freeman could only record 6 points within a span of 24 minutes. This set the perfect example that height isn’t everything when it comes to basketball.

One individual indicated that the clip gave him a feeling of Déjà vu, writing that he received “Campazzo vibes.” This was a reference to Facundo Campazzo, former Denver Nuggets point guard who currently plays for Real Madrid. Also, being 5-foot-11, the player’s passing abilities earned him praise from several individuals. Michael Malone even reportedly commented that with both Campazzo and Jokic, the Nuggets seem to have two of the very best passers on the planet together. Campazzo’s skill to get the ball on a turnover and immediately look down the court for quick scoring opportunities, lead the break, or find long-range outlet passes may be something that even the 23-year-old might develop in his NBA journey.

Whether it was a play on his ethnicity or a general love of the anime, one comment that stated “He looks like Kuroko!” were just amongst the many others that made the same reference or carried the GIF of the Japanese Manga character. Along with being Japanese, Tetsuya Kuroko is also described as having a “fragile outlook and a very small build for a basketball player.” Similarly to Kawamura, his build “is why he is usually seen passing”, with misdirection and passes being his specialty. For Kawamura, being associated with a manga character may be a bigger honor than some would think.

Overall, the reactions were positive towards Yuki Kawamura and his feat. While his earlier performances may not have been that impressive, the Japanese player has shown recently why he deserves to be on the Grizzlies main lineup.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.