The NBA 2022-23 season is set to kick off on October 18. With just a few days left before the season’s start, the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards played their first pre-season game in Japan Games 2022 showcase on September 30. The Warriors managed to defeat the Wizards.
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka and American tennis star Frances Tiafoe came up to the arena to support Stephen Curry and the Warriors.
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The Golden State Warriors beat Washington Wizards by 96-87 during their first pre-season game on Friday. Most of the players on the Warriors’ roster got some minutes on the court. James Wiseman was the highest scorer for Golden State with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and an assist. Stephen Curry also marked his presence for 13 minutes on the court, scoring six points with three rebounds and two assists.
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Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura was the highest scorer for the Washington Wizards with 13 points and 9 rebounds. The Japanese NBA star put out an impressive performance in front of his home crowd. Tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Frances Tiafoe were also present during Friday’s encounter to support the Stephen Curry-led Warriors.
Osaka & Tiafoe come to witness a Stephen Curry victory
In the Twitter image by GQ sports, Osaka was seen wearing a mask and a cap standing next to Tiafoe. The American tennis star donned a black sweatshirt with a silver chain around his neck.
.@naomiosaka and @FTiafoe at #NBAJapanGames pic.twitter.com/2s9TzCOoRt
— GQ Sports (@GQSports) September 30, 2022
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Naomi Osaka is the first Asian player to be ranked world no. 1 in the WTA rankings. The 24-year-old has won four-Grand slam titles with two each in Australia and the US. The Japanese tennis star became the second woman to win back-to-back major singles tournaments after Serena Williams’ feat in 2015. Osaka is currently in the 46th spot in the WTA rankings with 1122 points.
Moreover, Frances Tiafoe also witnessed the first pre-season game in Japan. The American tennis star reached his highest ATP ranking in September. He is currently at the 19th spot with 1940 points in the tennis singles rankings. Tiafoe won his first ATP title at the 2018 Delray Beach Open.
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The 24-year-old became the youngest American since Andy Roddick in 2002 to win a tournament on the ATP tour. It was heartwarming to see the two rising tennis stars show up to a pre-season game and support Curry. The Golden State Warriors will play their second pre-season game against Washington on October 2 at 1:00 a.m. ET.