When You’re The Best Passer Ever But The NBA Doesn’t Care

When You’re The Best Passer Ever But The NBA Doesn’t Care

The most entertaining basketball player alive 
right now is Yuki Kawamura. He is the shortest NBA player right now listed at 5’7 and one 
of the 10 shortest players in NBA history. He stands a foot shorter than the average 
NBA player which is 67. And that makes you wonder how it is even possible for him to do 
stuff like this. Country. Oh my. How about that for the emphasis on a back door be Yuki 
Kamura’s been going viral for over a year now, shocking the world with his play for 
the national team and dazzling with the Memphis Grizzlies whenever he got the chance. 
Everybody is rooting for the Japanese phenomenon. We are. But after a tough rookie season averaging 
just 1.7 points per game, a lot of people thought that Yuki was doomed and that unfortunately size 
matters more than anything else in the NBA. But Yuki Kawamura has defied the odds his entire 
life. And just when everybody counted him out, he did the impossible again, earned a second 
chance, which so far he has made the most of. So, starting things off with his NBA career, Yuki 
Kowamura had to go above and beyond for his opportunity. He was always overlooked because of 
his size. But after winning rookie of the year and MVP in the same season in the Japanese Pro 
League, he got called up to play at the Paris Olympics. And after averaging 20.3 points and 
7.7 assists per game, NBA teams started to take notice. Yuki was the only player in the Olympics 
to be top three in both points and assists per game. Not even LeBron James, Nicola Yukich, or 
Giannis did that. The Memphis Grizzlies liked what they saw and decided to give him a chance. 
He arrived in Memphis with no guarantees. He signed an exhibit 10 contract, which is one of 
the lowest forms of non-garanteed NBA contracts that can be cut at any time. By signing this deal, 
Yuki became just the fourth Japanese player in NBA history. But making the final 15-man roster seemed 
impossible. And the majority of NBA fans thought this was a short-lived experiment for marketing 
until NBA preseason when Yuki Kawwamura did this. Behind the back. Oh wow. Eyes behind his head. Oh my goodness. I I told you Chris, he 
can play. He threw that come down now like three of his last four possessions 
empty. And this can tie or take the lead. But no passy ties it up. The offensive 
abilities off. He’s averaging 13 a game here in the preseason. 4 and a half points 
just from three-point range. What a pass. No, listen. He took that responsibility. So, you 
know, it’s a great basket. Oh my goodness. That’s big brother basketball. Yuki step back three. Yes. Yes. Yuki Kawamura broke the internet. He was 
a walking highlight reel and fans couldn’t get enough of the chemistry between him and Jarant, 
the franchise player who took him under his wing. He may be the smallest player on the team 
at 5’8, but Japanese guard Yuki Karamura got the biggest cheers from the crowd as he whipped 
out the gritty with Jamar to beat out the other rookies in the annual dance comp. Yuki was a fan 
favorite and impressed so much in preseason that the Grizzlies decided to give him a one-year 
contract. But earning a contract is one thing. Earning playing time is another. And with the 
Grizzlies strong guard depth from Ja, Pippen Jr., Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, and others. Yuki’s 
opportunities were far and few. He played just 22 of 82 games, logged an average of 4.2 minutes 
per night, mostly in garbage time. And his numbers were as expected, underwhelming. He averaged 1.6 
points,.9 assists,.5 rebounds, and.1 steals on 36% shooting from the field, and 30% shooting 
from the three-point line. But just because Yuki wasn’t playing much in the NBA doesn’t mean 
he wasn’t spoiling fans with a spectacular play. For the majority of the 2024-25 season, Yuki 
Kawamura was suiting up for the Memphis hustle in the NBA GLeague. A very common practice 
for rookie point guards, especially undrafted ones. The G- League tipoff tournament was a huge 
opportunity for every G-League player to showcase their talents in front of NBA scouts. And Yuki 
Kawamura quickly proved he is way too good for the minor leagues. Kamura with the handles and the 
mid-range. Cascade low dribble flips it to Bacott. Calamura left his feet to make the pass 
for the Memphis Hustle. Really explosive and fun player to watch. He takes the first 
shot and drops the first along with a steel. Palamura to the 10. The finish plus one. for the 
Bulls led by as much as 13. It’s a five-point game now. And goodness with the alley cow mora with 
the dime. Yuki was on another level in seven tip off tournament games. Six times he recorded 
double digit assists. He almost got a double double every game. 15 points, 10 assists, and six 
rebounds against the Stars. And then 15 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds in two games 
against the squadron. But his best two games deserve to be talked about in more detail. 
In a star-studded matchup taking on G-League MVP Mcclung in the Lakeland Magic, Yuki Kowamura 
put on a playmaking masterclass with 16 assists. Kamura gets trapped but finds C back door. 
Woodard the second into the game. Woodard got that hair cut down a little bit. Here 
he goes to the rim and lays it up and in. 13 back in 2020. One of the great rebounders, 
especially for his size. Woodard for three. Yes, sir. Who confronts? He could be right. I’m 
just saying from there. See if they’ll get a two for one. They will. McCon 
fires. Long rebound to Calamura. Yuki beats Castleton trailing for Miles Norris 
right there. Now he tries the three. Can’t hit it. Rebound tipped by Culver. Chased out 
by Yuki. Oh, what an effort play by Yuki to takes it down and he finds Castleman. But Yuki 
wasn’t just playmaking. He was scoring for fun, too. Taking on the Windy City Bulls, Yuki 
made quite an impression with 27 points on 11 of 17 shooting along with six assists, 
five rebounds, and two steals. hauling it in from outside the Kam Moa the ball fake five 
for five pounds in weight and so doing a good job keep it up. Kyle Moore gets the steal going 
the other way. Hey 12 points in the first half for great as a playmaker as well. his ability 
to attack the basket and then find teammates by the windy city to get that bucket. Offensive 
rebounds typically is the easiest way to create open threes as Kawamura making his presence felt 
at the rim. Another during the tip off tournament, Yuki averaged insane numbers, 13.7 points and 
a G-League high 10.7 assists per game. He was averaging a double double and was on pace to break 
the G-League assist record. At the end of the 2024 calendar year, the Grizzlies were impressed by 
what they were seeing from him in the G- League and decided to give Yuki his biggest chance yet. 
Playing against the number one seed and eventual champions OKC Thunder, Yuki played 11 minutes, 
his most in an NBA game yet. Scored 10 points with three assists and three rebounds on four 
or five shooting from the field, proving that not even the best team in the NBA could stop him. 
He’ll pull up in the mid-range and that’s good. seemingly since that 90 start to the game they’ll 
put it down. They almost had it. Foul by Dyla. I’m impressed. And Yuki didn’t slow down 
during the G-League regular season. Some of his performances were just incredible. How 
about 11 points, five rebounds, and a season high 16 assists against the Kings. Surgery on 
that shoulder in July. Came back and how about the strip by Kamura. Good hands behind the back 
to Norris. Oh, what a play. Bacott thought about it. Kamora Pure from downtown. Crawford all the 
way, but he comes up empty. A great look. Kellmore wasting no time. The feed, the reverse. Oh, what 
a move out there with Jason Randall, Isaac Jones, Isaiah Crawford. Terry Taylor with the flush on 
the floor right now. Isaac Jones, Boogie Ellis, and Jason Randall in a miscommunication. If 
that doesn’t impress you, how about this? 16 points and 15 assists against the Salt Lake City 
Stars. Potter goes stumbling through the lane and throws up a wild shot. Yuki behind the miss. 
Nice. Oh, beautiful. Knock it down race. Oh, you here’s a UNL Newton gets a tie puff scoop and he got it to 
go. Oh my gosh. Able to control on the board. Let it fly. He will let it fly. Got it. Those 
are some great games, but the best Yuki Kawamura performance in the G-League season came against 
the Texas Legends. These are video game numbers, so get ready. He had 24 points, 14 assists, 
six steals, three rebounds, and a block. Watch these clips and tell me that Yuki Kowamura isn’t 
special. Now Walker has it stolen by Kawamura. He’ll take it inside behind the back teeth preing 
for Texas if they hope to keep that pace. It’s like deja vu all over again. Wheeler did had a 
layup the same way to open up the game for the Legends. Oh, Texas back within seven. Uh and you 
talked about Camille Smith taking that jump. We’ve had the opportunity to call some games, talked 
to Camille before. How exciting is that? Again, we’ll talk to Dr. Charel, the president of Paul 
Quinn at the start of the third quarter. Kowamura, who had an electrifying first quarter, continues 
it. Yeah, we’ve seen that with builder. What you call it? Confidence builder. Seeing the ball go 
in the hoop. Kamura fakes it in off. Couple of threes for the hustle. You know, they’re not done 
just yet. And that’s why Kamura just strips it from Powell and lays it in. Yuki’s numbers were 
unbelievable. In 24 games during the G- League regular season, the Japanese Phenom averaged 12.4 
points and 7.8 assists per game, shooting 40% from the field and 41% from the perimeter. And at 
the end of the 2024-25 season, the Grizzlies finally decided to give Yuki a proper chance. He 
was called up from the G-League and given starter NBA minutes against the Dallas Mavericks. They 
were one of the best defensive teams in the west and Yuki Kawamura picked them apart like it was 
nothing. 2XL game. Kamura for three. Yes. Yuki Kamura. Extra effort plays that the Grizzies will 
make all night. Lamar Stevens got his feet set. Yuki’s got an open three. Bango. Yuki Calamura. 
You better guard that man. down. They were tired because of the scheduling situation. Kamora with 
a steal. Look at the thumb. Bagley. Yes. Yuki. Yuki. Yuki. Even though he’s not on the floor 
at the moment. Yuki for three. Bango and one. Four-point chance for Yuki Kamura. In this game, 
Yuki played 28 minutes. By far his most ever in an NBA game. And he did a bit of everything. 12 
points, five rebounds, five assists, and three made three balls, proving that when given the 
chance, he can be the same Yuki we’ve seen in the G-League Olympics in preeason. But sadly, 
it wasn’t enough. The NBA is a brutal business, and securing one of those final roster spots is 
so difficult because it’s so competitive. The Grizzlies fired their coach and came Tumas isol 
with a new style and ideas. And at the end of the season, they decided as an organization that Yuki 
Kawamura was no longer in their plans, making him an unrestricted free agent. During free agency, 
Yuki didn’t get any calls. It didn’t matter how good he was. NBA teams just weren’t looking for 
point guards under 6′ tall. For Kawamura, his options were limited. He could go overseas, return 
home to Japan, play professionally somewhere else in the world. But Yuki wasn’t going to give up on 
his NBA dream. He sacrificed too much for it and still believed it was possible. He was patient 
and the perfect opportunity came up. 2025 NBA Summer League. The Chicago Bulls decided to give 
Yuki another chance. No contract, no guarantees, just a chance to show what he can do in Vegas. 
And if there’s one thing we know about Yuki, all he needs is a chance. Kawamura bowled out with 
20 points and 10 assists against the Jazz and also 15 points and 10 assists against the Pacers. 
But the stats don’t do it justice. You need to see what Yuki Kowamura did in Vegas. So, let’s 
break it down. On this play in transition, Yuki is first to react to the long rebound from the 
blocked shot. It’s a three-on- two opportunity, and watch how Yuki quickly scans over his left 
shoulder, and identifies another teammate trailing behind. He waits for the defender to engage, sets 
his body positioning up as if he’s going to make a simple bounce pass to the right before throwing 
a behind the back bounce pass to the trailer, taking the lone defender completely out of the 
game and setting up his teammate for a two-hand flush. Pause on the frame right here. And look 
how Yuki leans forward to sell the deception. On this play, Yuki is on the far side. He knows 
that the defenses don’t see him as a threat on the offensive glass. So, while his man goes to box 
out down low, Yuki bites his time and creeps into the paint unmarked. When the shooter misses the 
catch and shoot free, Yuki’s in prime position for the long rebound, which he hustled hard to get. 
As the loose ball is dropping, Yuki notices the shooter relocating from the corner to the paint 
and right away dishes it to him for the easy layup without even looking. Yuki is unstoppable 
in the pick and roll. right here. His acceleration allows him to get a step on his defender, and 
he throws a ridiculously quick pocket pass, splitting two defenders, which results in an easy 
floater for the Bulls. Another example right here shows how accurate Yuki’s passing actually is. 
Pause the frame right here. You have four players in close proximity of each other, all tall with 
crazy wingspans. That ball could end up anywhere, but it ends up right in the roller’s hands for 
an easy dunk as Yuki is able to hook it with one hand and zip it in right on Q for a wideopen 
slam dunk. And this one right here might be the best of the lot. Yuki Kawamura in the screen and 
roll. The defender right here in drop coverage steps up to deny a path to the rim. And then this 
defender here rotates over to pick up the roller. Yuki’s options are limited here. You have two 
defenders on either side of the block ready to help him protect the rim. And this defender in 
the drop does a great job of making himself big and covering space. Most players in this situation 
would retreat to the three-point line and reset. But Yuki isn’t most players. He’s creative and 
throws a bounce pass between the defender’s legs, nutmegging him, assisting his teammate for a layup 
at the rim. Take a good look at the replay because that’s just silly. 19-point lead ties the largest 
lead of the game for the Kings. Kamora between the legs of Raino. One of the most impressive things 
Yuki does is use his eyes to deceive defenders. Right here in transition, Yuki races up the 
court. While dribbling and losing no speed, he glances over to observe his surroundings. 
He’s probably quick enough to be able to take it to the cup and finish by himself. But Yuki is 
well aware of his limitations. He sees the shot blocker trailing the play who with a huge height 
advantage is capable of swatting the shot at the rim. So what does Yuki do? He attacks the rim with 
speed, waits for the defender to fully commit, and then throws it behind the back, assisting 
his teammate for the layup. Watch the replay, and look how Yuki’s eyes are on the rim 
the whole time. He doesn’t just drive in and throw the behind the back pass. He sets up 
his entire body shape 100% as if he’s about to take the layup only to throw a dime at the last 
second. If I picked a favorite pass already, I lied because this one here is it. Watch Yuki 
on the wing right here. He’s guarded tightly by a taller defender who’s all over him. He could 
throw a post entry pass right here to his big who sealed his defender. But instead, he uses his 
footwork and low center of gravity to escape, shifts direction, and turns the corner 
downhill. When Yuki goes to the basket, he’s aware that the defender, who his big 
head sealed, has now stepped over to try and help in the paint and deter the shot. Yuki, 
having already assessed his surroundings, now knows that his teammate is open in the corner. 
So, he double clutches in midair and throws a no look bounce pass to the open shooter in the 
corner and he knocks down the trifecta. The craziest thing about Yuki’s passing ability is 
everything we’ve just broke down came from five summer league games. He makes a great playmaker’s 
best assist highlight of the whole year, every other possession. If I broke down every Yuki 
highlight assist in detail, this video would be an hour long. But I’m not going to deny you the 
chance of witnessing greatness. So, let’s tap into the moment and watch some more real quick. 
Inside Alamora tossing it up. Feeling it now. Yuki. Oh, are you kidding me? Yuki Kamora 
is doing it again. And the Bulls have their first lead since it was 20. Freeman returned to 
sender. Lachlan on the floor. Freeman’s got it now. Kyamura does ahead to Miller. Just out of his 
reach. shining in the final of summer league. That time Ky Mo Clifford trying to give it to inside 
but Kamura giving up a foot still to Liberty. Grill from the corner. The assist swap from 
behind. The aggression of Pereira to knock it away. Kamura serves up top. But Yuki wasn’t 
just creating for others in summer league. He was creating for himself too. Right here, Yuki 
is trapped on the wing, but instead of panicking and throwing a risky pass, he uses his footwork 
effectively to pivot out of trouble and beat the blitz. Yuki is too quick for any defender off 
the dribble. Right here, he’s already exploded by him and can go all the way to the rim and score 
with a floater or layup, but Kawamura is multiple steps ahead. Yuki, knowing his recovering 
defender is racing back to keep up with him, deliberately decelerates, gets his body in 
front of his defender to initiate contact, and then finishes with the floater for 
an and one, gaining an extra point at the free throw line for the exact same shot. 
And this wasn’t just a one-off play. No, Yuki was getting buckets all through summer league 
there. That’s a destination program right now. Yuki Kawamora able to make his message clear to 
these guys no matter what generation they’re from. And she said it’s exactly that. The culture 
comes from the top. That’s it. I 100% agree. They’re not I mean they’re not the ones messing 
up the call. This one’s correcting to be able to make it easier for their teammates. Kamura step 
back fires a three. Ignites. Yuki Kowamura was one of the biggest stars in NBA summer league. He 
averaged 7.6. 7 points, 5.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. But above all, he gave the fans 
at the Thomas and Max Center an experience they’ll never forget. And the Chicago Bulls had seen 
enough and immediately signed Yuki to a two-way contract. They didn’t want any other team snapping 
him up. Kawamura achieved his goal. He was back on an NBA team competing for a main roster spot. 
and his next objective going through training camp in preseason was to continue to impress the 
organization and sustain that roster spot that he deservingly earned for himself at summer league. 
Throughout training camp, Yuki continued to do what Yuki does, create highlight moments, even 
in scrimmages that the Bulls posted online and went viral on social media for. But the next big 
test for Yuki was NBA preseason. And against last year’s number one seated Cleveland Cavaliers, Yuki 
did his thing with three points, five assists, and three rebounds in just 14 minutes. Is this the 
game that we’re going to see from Balis night in and night out for this team as Collins cuts back 
door for the two make sure that it was okay on the NBC dime. Kamora drive kick. Javon Carter connects 
Houston. That was a huge loss for Houston. To me, I put the ball in the hands of Thompson 
at that 68 69 frame and live with him. In his second preseason game, Yuki’s minutes 
were cut in half. But that didn’t stop him from being impactful. He knows that every minute 
counts. And even in the limited time he did get, he managed to score three points, get three 
assists, a steal, and somehow five rebounds. career ar got him his first contract 
there kick Miller can’t hit the triple Gay keeps it alive Murray what a 
pass gay is there again in the book with the hands he has a steal 
exchange with Gay who comes up to set the screen five on the shot 
clock 15 in the game in fronti Yuki the officials put 710 back up 
there a three. Noi the rebound five Yuki’s out there and a chance 
to possibly ice it. Still 6.8 left really ice its one time out left and the Bulls 
are up five. But unfortunately though, Yuki’s preseason ended there. He dealt with a massive 
setback. Yuki was suffering from lower leg pain and was ruled out with injury for an indefinite 
time period. This didn’t seem too serious at first, but after he underwent further tests, the 
Bulls doctors discovered a medical condition. Now, while the Bulls had been vague about what this 
medical condition actually is, thankfully, it’s not supposed to be anything too serious that 
he can’t come back from. But the reality of the NBA business is that the league stops for nobody. 
and Yuki occupying one of those two-way contracts is taking a valuable spot away from somebody else. 
So, the Chicago Bulls shocked everyone making the difficult decision to cut Yuki Kawamura releasing 
him from the team and making him a free agent again. He signed a a gly a two-way deal with the 
Chicago Bulls. He’s now waved off that deal. Um, and the B Bulls PR did confirm it’s due to a 
medical condition and he has been sidelined with a right lower uh lower leg pain. So, right 
now, at the time of recording this video, Yuki Kowamura is unsigned and recovering from injury, 
but that doesn’t mean his journey ends here. It’s not been ruled out that the Chicago Bulls 
will resign him at a later point when healthy. And it’s a positive sign that the Chicago Bulls 
have decided to allow Yuki to rehab and recover at their facility. But either way, Yuki will 
easily be able to sign for another G-League team, if not the Windy City Bulls. And when he does 
come back, you already know Yuki is going to be lighting up whatever arena he steps foot in. and I 
wholeheartedly believe he is an NBA player. While the NBA these days is very specific in the profile 
of player they’re looking for to make up the back end of the roster. Some players are just special 
and Yuki Kawamura as a 5’7 point guard does not fit the prototype, but he is an outlier. He is 
an exception to the rule. He might be the best passing point guard in the entire world. Nobody 
is as creative and makes plays out of nothing as often as he does. He is a generational playmaker 
and I think if a team can’t make use of his skill set then that’s a coaching issue. So often we see 
NBA offenses become stagnant. Teams lose momentum and go scoreless for multiple possessions. 
Yuki Kawamura gets the building buzzing. If you’re struggling to get a bucket, you 
throw Yuki into the game. He’s going to make something happen. get the crowd 
going and have the bench all hyped up. Step back three. Yes. You can’t measure that with statistics. You 
can’t mathematically or analytically calculate how valuable that is. You just have to experience it 
and eventually it will happen. One NBA team won’t believe in Yuki Kawamura. He is an underdog story 
that everyone can get behind. An undersized kid from Japan who overcame all sorts of culture and 
language barriers to pursue a dream that everybody his entire life probably told him was impossible. 
Yuki Kawamura is beloved everywhere he goes. He is entertainment and that’s ultimately what NBA 
basketball is all about, entertainment. And the NBA product is a better product when Yuki Kawamura 
is out there on the hardwood throwing dimes and having fun. But while Yuki Kawamura is putting on 
for Japan, there’s also a young rookie from China who’s making waves and is also an incredible 
underdog story. This is Yang Hansen, a lottery pick from the Portland Trailblazers who has 
already been nicknamed the Chinese Yokic. He is another Asian basketball phenomenon, the next Yao 
Ming. And if you don’t know, you need to get to know. So to find out more about Yang Hansen, click 
the big box in the middle of your screen. Go check out our video on him breaking down his game and 
telling his story just like we did here with Yuki Kawamura. So click your screen, go watch that, 
subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications if new around. Like the video and on that note 
is DKM signing out. Until next time and peace.

Yuki Kawamura was always told that at 5ft7 he was too short to ever play in the NBA, but he did the impossible and became the shortest NBA player after dazzling with the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls. Yuki Kawamura has been fighting for another NBA chance, but it seems as if, despite the Japanese Phenomenon being one of the best passers ever, the NBA doesn’t care…

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