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 playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. He gained prominence playing college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs before being drafted ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA draft. As a power forward, Hachimura earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2020. He also represents the Japan national team in international competitions, marking him as a significant figure in Japanese basketball.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

December 29, 2013: Led Meisei High School to Victory

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 in a 92–78 win over Fukuoka University Ohori.

2013: FIBA Asia U16 Championship

At the 2013 FIBA Asia U16 Championship in Iran, Rui 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, Rui Hachimura played the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany with Japan's under 18 national team, finishing in last place.

2014: FIBA U17 World Championships

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

2014: Second Straight Tournament Win

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

April 2015: Invited to Jordan Brand Classic

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

November 21, 2015: Signed with Gonzaga Bulldogs

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

December 29, 2015: Third All-Japan Tournament Victory

On December 29, 2015, Rui Hachimura scored 34 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks to lead Meisei past Tsuchiura Nihon University High School for his third All-Japan Tournament victory.

November 11, 2016: Regular Season Debut for Gonzaga

On November 11, 2016, Rui Hachimura made his regular season debut for the Gonzaga Bulldogs against Utah Valley, recording one point and three rebounds in four minutes, becoming the fifth Japanese-born player to ever play NCAA Division I basketball.

2016: Joined Gonzaga

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

February 23, 2017: Helped Win West Coast Conference Title

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

March 16, 2017: First Japanese Player in NCAA Tournament

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

2017: Gonzaga Appearance

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

2017: First Japanese National in NCAA Tournament

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

2017: FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup

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

November 6, 2018: Season Opener Points

On November 6, 2018, Rui Hachimura opened the regular season by scoring 33 points in a 120–79 win over Idaho State.

November 21, 2018: Upset Win Over Duke

On November 21, 2018, Rui Hachimura recorded 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists to help upset No. 1-ranked Duke in the Maui Invitational finals.

April 15, 2019: Declared for NBA Draft

On April 15, 2019, Rui 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, Rui Hachimura made his NBA debut, posting a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) as a starter in a 100–108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

December 1, 2019: Career High Points

On December 1, 2019, Rui Hachimura scored a then career-high 30 points in a 125–150 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers along with nine rebounds, three assists and a steal.

December 2019: First Japanese Players to Face Each Other in the NBA

In December 2019, Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe became the first pair of Japanese players to face each other in the NBA. Hachimura suffered a groin injury against the Detroit Pistons on December 16 and had surgery and missed several games.

2019: Drafted into the NBA

In 2019, Rui Hachimura was drafted ninth overall by the Washington Wizards into the National Basketball Association (NBA).

2019: WCC Player of the Year

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

2019: FIBA World Cup Qualification

In a qualification round for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Rui 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, Rui Hachimura was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

2020: Loss to Slovenia in Tokyo Olympics

During the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Rui 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 Points

On March 30, 2021, Rui Hachimura tied his then career high of 30 points in a 104–114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

January 9, 2022: Season Debut

On January 9, 2022, Rui Hachimura made his season debut, recording six points and three rebounds in a 102–100 win over the Orlando Magic.

January 21, 2023: Career-High-Tying Points in Last Game Before Trade

On January 21, 2023, Rui Hachimura recorded a then career-high-tying 30 points, alongside five rebounds and two blocks, in a 138–118 win over the Orlando Magic, in his last game before being traded.

January 23, 2023: Traded to Los Angeles Lakers

On January 23, 2023, Rui 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 Lakers

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

December 9, 2023: Won NBA In-Season Tournament

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

2023: Withdrawal from FIBA World Cup

In 2023, Rui Hachimura withdrew from the FIBA World Cup citing exhaustion from the NBA season and playoffs and the need to prepare for the following NBA season.

2023: Vital Role in Lakers Playoff Run

In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Rui Hachimura was a vital part of the Lakers rotation, scoring 29 points in his Lakers post-season debut. He also frequently guarded Nikola Jokić in the Western Conference Finals.