Basketball
Rui Hachimura Helps Lakers Beat Timberwolves in NBA Season Opener
Sixth-year pro Rui Hachimura was an active presence at both ends of the court. He scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds in a victory over the Timberwolves.
Rui Hachimura made the Los Angeles Lakers' first basket of the 2024-25 NBA season, draining a 3-point shot 52 seconds into the game on Tuesday night, October 22.
Hachimura added a driving slam dunk for the Lakers' next points at the 10:23 mark of the first quarter, giving them a 5-2 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The sixth-year pro finished with 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting, five rebounds and two steals in 35 productive minutes of court time. Hachimura added an assist and a blocked shot in the Lakers' 110-103 home win at Crypto.com Arena.
With 5:11 remaining until halftime, a Hachimura layup extended LA's lead to 49-32. Moments later, frontcourt mate Anthony Davis pushed the advantage to 19 points on another layup.
Minnesota trailed 55-42 at halftime.
Davis led the Lakers with 36 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.
Anthony Edwards paced the Timberwolves with 27 points.
Tuesday's game marked JJ Reddick's regular-season debut as Lakers coach. He took over for departed bench boss Darvin Ham, who led the team from 2022-24. LA went 47-35 last season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Under new leadership, Hachimura believes he will be a key contributor and help push the Lakers to greater heights this season.
"I felt like all the practice I've done so far paid off, so I'm happy about that," Hachimura told reporters after the season-opening game, NHK reported.
He added, "I think we are a team that can win the championship this year, so I want to do my best to achieve that goal."
Lakers Make History with LeBron and Son Playing Together
In addition to being the Lakers' opening game, it was also the first time in NBA history in which a father and a son played in the same game.
LeBron James, the league's 39-year-old all-time leading scorer, shared limited court time with his son Bronny James (about 2½ minutes). Their shared moment of history began with 4 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Bronny replaced Hachimura, and the elder James substituted into the game for Gabe Vincent.
The younger James, 20, is a former University of Southern California guard. He missed both his shots and grabbed an offensive rebound in his brief NBA debut.
Bronny's father, aka "King James," finished with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 35 minutes to launch his 22nd season in the NBA.
After the game, LeBron James shared his heartfelt thoughts on the experience.
"I'll never forget this moment playing with my son, no matter what happens in the future," the future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee told reporters. "Everything was great today. I went to work, saw my son and went into the game. It was a really big deal for our family."
Watching the storyline develop in the preseason and culminate with the first father-son game in NBA history, Hachimura offered his view on his teammates' unique story.
"I knew from practice that it was a really great thing," Hachimura said, according to NHK.
Then he said, "I hope Bronny will do well as a player and think about his own career."
Additional NBA News to Open the Season
In the only other NBA game on the first night of the 2024-25 season, the reigning champion Boston Celtics thumped the visiting New York Knicks 132-109.
Meanwhile, point guard Yuki Kawamura, formerly with the B.League's Yokohama B-Corsairs, is gearing up for his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies. Based on solid performances for the Grizzlies in five preseason games (including 10 points and seven assists against the Indiana Pacers on October 14), Kawamura recently signed a two-way contract with the NBA club.
Under the terms of two-way deals, Kawamura is eligible to be an active player for 50 of the Grizzlies' 82 games this season. He's also expected to play for the Memphis Hustle, their NBA G League affiliate.
Kawamura is the NBA's shortest player at 5-foot-8 (173 cm).
The Grizzlies open their season on Wednesday, October 23 (10 AM JST on Thursday) against the Utah Jazz.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.