The Undersized Giant: Yuki Kawamura is the First Asian Since Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin to Shake Up the NBA
- Fariz Fidraus
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
In a league designed for giants, Yuki Kawamura is causing waves with nothing but 5 feet 8 inches of pure grit and court sense. It's been more than a decade since the NBA has seen an Asian player who really made the international basketball community sit up and take notice. There was Yao Ming, the Chinese center who transformed the league's relationship with Asia first. Then came Jeremy Lin, whose electrifying "Linsanity" era in 2012 captivated the hearts of millions. Now, in 2025, comes Yuki Kawamura—but he's breaking the stereotype in a whole different way. The first Asian Since Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin to Shake Up the NBA
From Yanai to the World: Kawamura's Unlikely Rise
Kawamura was born in Yanai, Yamaguchi, Japan in 2001. He was hardly the most likely candidate to be an NBA legend. In a country where baseball and soccer reign supreme, his love of basketball was already out of the ordinary. Still, Kawamura had an innate knack for reading the game since childhood—making impossible passes, setting the tone, and closing on stronger, taller opponents.
He made himself a household name in all of Japan after leading Fukuoka Daiichi High School to back-to-back national championships, then stunned the B.League by signing with San-en NeoPhoenix as a teenager. His stay with Yokohama B-Corsairs earned him MVP honors, Rookie of the Year, and league assists leader.
The Shortest Player in the NBA—But a Towering Presence
At 5′8″ (173 cm), Kawamura is the shortest active NBA player, a full foot shorter than most guards he competes against. And yet, he doesn't just survive—he flourishes. Equipped with lightning-quick first steps, no-look dimes, and precise decision-making, Kawamura slices through defenses like a scalpel. He doesn't just play the game—he directs it.
Memphis fans, where he currently plays on a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, already have noticed. "Yuki! Yuki!" chants echo throughout FedExForum whenever he is on the court. While his paper numbers are humble, his presence is interesting. His ability to control rhythm and get his teammates involved is akin to that of young Steve Nash—only with a Japanese twist.
International Impact & Olympic Stardom
Kawamura's debut moment on the world stage arrived in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where he had 13.6 points and 7.6 assists, topped by a 25-point, 9-assist masterclass in Japan's stunning upset of Finland. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he had 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in an instant classic overtime game against France—a line of play matched by only two players in this century.
He's not just making a name for himself in the NBA. He's showing the world that Japanese basketball is here—and it's fast, cutting-edge, and vicious.
More Than a Player—A Movement
Yuki Kawamura represents more than just flashy highlights. He's redefining success in the NBA. In a league obsessed with height, Kawamura's power is horizontal—his reach extends past borders, past cultures, and stale truisms about who gets a seat at the table.
He's the face of a new generation of basketball on an international platform—where size is not necessarily a predictor of success, and where smart, imagination, and heart can get anyone heard.
Conclusion: A New Type of Linsanity?
While Jeremy Lin was a cultural lightning rod, Yuki Kawamura may be the slow-burning revolution. No viral moment yet, no Madison Square Garden heroics—but the groundwork is stronger. Kawamura has been battle-tested in Japan, polished on the FIBA level, and now he's earning his stripes in the NBA, step by step.
He's not the biggest. He's not the loudest. But he might be the unlikeliest hero we've ever had—and that makes his story all the more captivating.
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