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Rui Hachimura to miss Japan’s remaining FIBA World Cup games

The Japanese men’s national basketball team went 0-3 in Group E play and will play in the Olympics next year. So there’s no need to overuse him since he apparently has some knee discomfort.

By Albert Lee
USA v Japan: Group E - FIBA World Cup 2019
Rui Hachimura is being shut down before heading back to the Wizards for training camp.
Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

On Friday in China (or Thursday night Washington, D.C. time), the Japanese Basketball Association released a statement that Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura will miss the remainder of Japan’s FIBA World Cup games to allow him to rest before NBA training camp which starts in about three weeks.

Hachimura also felt “knee discomfort and general fatigue.” They stressed that they will also work with the Wizards on his development before this season and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Since Japan will play in the Olympics as the host, they don’t have much to gain and Hachimura only puts himself at risk of injury. He also wrote in a statement that he trusts the Wizards and the Japanese Basketball Association on how they will work together to make sure he has a successful season in the NBA and for the Olympics next year.