Watanabe's jersey topped the sales chart in Japan this season despite playing in just 15 games for the GrizzliesNBAE/getty images
Grizzlies G Yuta Watanabe may have spent "much of the season" playing for the G League Memphis Hustle, but by becoming just the second Japanese player to appear in an NBA game, he "captivated a nation," according to David Cobb of the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. Despite Watanabe playing in just 15 games for the Grizzlies, his No. 12 jersey "topped the sales chart in Japan this season," beating out LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving. NBA League Pass "registered a 10% growth in Japanese subscribers" during the season, while the Grizzlies "came in third in overall merchandise popularity" in the country. Japanese journalist Daisuke Sugiura, who followed Watanabe this year, said, "The people who are not interested in basketball before are now interested in Yuta's story because of the NBA." Cobb noted Watanabe understands he and Gonzaga F Rui Hachimura, who might be a lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft, "could be the inspiration for the next wave of Japanese basketball players" (COMMERCIALAPPEAL.com, 5/2).
