Possible Bright Spot For Wizards

by Evan Joseph ’23

 Rui Hachimura, a  21 year old rookie for the Washington Wizards is making big moves. Recently, he signed an endorsement deal with Jordan brand. Hachimura has plans with Jordan to expand sales throughout Asia. Japan especially has a good connection with Hachimura because he is the first ever Japanese-born player to be drafted in the NBA. For the Wizards, their young star could not only be a future all-star, but also a ticket selling machine.  

Hachimura’s plan is to expand Jordan’s marketing to Japan and all throughout Asia. The Japanese are big fans of Hachimura and how he represents Japan. The Wizards should expect a lot from Hachimura in the next years like great performances, and an increase in viewing. The increase in ticket sales is going to come from Japanese wanting to see their hero (Hachimura) play. Hachimura has also drawn comparisons to players like Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, which is a sign of great play to come. Hachimura has impressed fans during his first game, showing signs of greatness. Even though he’s averaging 13/5/1, which is barely above average for a rookie, he has shown flashes of what he possibly could be in the future. For example, he put up 21/7/3 on the Celtics on 11/13/19.

Hachimura is definitely going to be a part of the future for the Wizards and possibly even the centerpiece of what’s next to come, but for now Hachimura has only shown signs of the future on a struggling Wizards roster. Wizards fans need to accept the rebuild and look forward to the future with Hachimura. He is going to always be a ticket seller because of his connection with Japan, but he could also become a great player.