Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Rui Hachimura

Discover the career path of Rui Hachimura, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Rui Hachimura is a Japanese professional basketball player currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. A power forward, Hachimura played college basketball at Gonzaga before being drafted ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA draft. He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2020. Hachimura also represents the Japan national team in international competitions.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

December 29, 2013: All-Japan High School Tournament Title

On December 29, 2013, Rui Hachimura led the Meisei High School basketball team to its second title in the All-Japan High School Tournament, scoring 32 points.

2013: FIBA Asia U16 Championship

At the 2013 FIBA Asia U16 Championship in Iran, Hachimura averaged 22.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks, guiding his team to a third-place finish.

April 2014: Albert Schweitzer Tournament

In April 2014, Hachimura played in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany with Japan's under 18 national team.

2014: Second Straight All-Japan High School Tournament Title

In 2014, Hachimura helped his team win the All-Japan High School Tournament for a second straight year.

2014: FIBA U17 World Championships

Japan finished the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championships 14th of 16 teams, with Hachimura scoring a tournament-high 22.6 points per game.

April 2015: Invited to Jordan Brand Classic

In April 2015, Hachimura was invited to the Jordan Brand Classic, recording nine points and five rebounds in the International Game.

November 21, 2015: Signed with Gonzaga Bulldogs

On November 21, 2015, Hachimura signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

December 29, 2015: Third All-Japan Tournament Victory

On December 29, 2015, Hachimura posted 34 points, 19 rebounds, and three blocks to guide Meisei to his third All-Japan Tournament victory.

November 11, 2016: Regular Season Debut for Gonzaga

On November 11, 2016, Hachimura made his regular season debut for the Gonzaga Bulldogs against Utah Valley, becoming the fifth Japanese-born player to ever play NCAA Division I basketball.

2016: Joined Gonzaga

In 2016, Hachimura joined Gonzaga as the fifth Japanese-born men's NCAA Division I player.

February 23, 2017: Helped Win West Coast Conference Title

On February 23, 2017, Hachimura scored eight points against San Diego, helping his team win the West Coast Conference (WCC) title.

March 16, 2017: First Japanese Native in NCAA Division I Men's Tournament

On March 16, 2017, after playing one minute against South Dakota State, Hachimura became the first Japanese native to ever appear in the NCAA Division I men's tournament.

2017: Appeared in 37 games for Gonzaga

During the 2017–18 campaign, Hachimura appeared in 37 games for Gonzaga, averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.

2017: FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup

Hachimura competed for Japan in the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, averaging team-bests 20.6 points and 11.0 rebounds a contest.

2017: First Japanese National to Play in NCAA Division I Men's Tournament

In 2017, Hachimura became the first Japanese national to play in the NCAA Division I men's tournament.

November 6, 2018: Opened Regular Season with 33 Points

On November 6, 2018, Hachimura opened the regular season by scoring 33 points in a win over Idaho State.

November 21, 2018: Upset Over Duke in Maui Invitational Finals

On November 21, 2018, Hachimura recorded 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists to help upset No. 1-ranked Duke in the Maui Invitational finals and was named most valuable player of the tournament.

April 15, 2019: Declared for NBA Draft

On April 15, 2019, Hachimura announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declared for the 2019 NBA draft.

October 23, 2019: NBA Debut

On October 23, 2019, Hachimura made his NBA debut, posting a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

December 1, 2019: Career-High 30 Points

On December 1, 2019, Hachimura scored a then career-high 30 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

December 2019: First Pair of Japanese Players in NBA

In December 2019, Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe became the first pair of Japanese players to face each other in the NBA. Hachimura also suffered a groin injury against the Detroit Pistons.

2019: WCC Player of the Year

In 2019, Hachimura was selected the WCC Player of the Year, leading Gonzaga in scoring with 19.7 points per game.

2019: Drafted by Washington Wizards

In 2019, Rui Hachimura was drafted ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the NBA draft.

2019: FIBA World Cup Qualification

In a qualification round for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Hachimura scored 25 points to help Japan defeat Iran 70–56.

September 15, 2020: Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team

On September 15, 2020, Hachimura was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

2020: 2020 Olympics in Tokyo

During the preliminary round of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Hachimura scored a game high 34 points in a loss to Slovenia.

2020: Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team

In 2020, Rui Hachimura was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

March 30, 2021: Tied Career High of 30 Points

On March 30, 2021, Hachimura tied his then career high of 30 points in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

January 9, 2022: Season Debut

On January 9, 2022, Hachimura made his season debut, recording six points and three rebounds in a win over the Orlando Magic.

2022: Played season with the Lakers

For the 2022-2023 season, Hachimura averaged 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and shot 48.6% on field goals.

January 21, 2023: Tied Career-High Points Before Trade

On January 21, 2023, in his last game before being traded, Hachimura recorded a then career-high-tying 30 points, alongside five rebounds and two blocks, in a win over the Orlando Magic.

January 23, 2023: Traded to the Los Angeles Lakers

On January 23, 2023, Hachimura was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks.

July 6, 2023: Re-signed with Los Angeles Lakers

On July 6, 2023, Hachimura re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

December 9, 2023: Won NBA In-Season Tournament

On December 9, 2023, Hachimura and the Lakers won the inaugural season of the NBA In-Season Tournament (also known as the NBA Cup).

2023: Withdrawal from FIBA World Cup

Hachimura was called up for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but ultimately withdrew on 27 June citing exhaustion from the NBA season and playoffs and the need to prepare for the following NBA season.

2023: Vital Part of Lakers Rotation

In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Hachimura was a vital part of the Lakers rotation, notably scoring 29 points in his Lakers post-season debut and guarding Nikola Jokić in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers lost the series to Denver.

February 14, 2024: New Career High of 36 Points

On February 14, 2024, Hachimura set a new career high of 36 points in a victory over the Utah Jazz.

2024: Season Statistics

In the 2024-25 season his scoring average remained steady at 13.1 ppg while his two-point percentage was 50.1% and his three-point percentage was 41.3.