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Rui Hachimura is taking full advantage of his NBA All-Star Weekend experience

The Washington Wizards forward hung out with fellow Japanese national team players, met Allen Iverson and even got compliments from LeBron James.

By Albert Lee
2020 NBA All-Star - Portraits
Rui Hachimura takes a photo during the NBA’s All-Star media circuit in Chicago.
Photo by Michael J. LeBrecht II/NBAE via Getty Images

NBA All-Star Weekend isn’t just about most of the league’s top players hanging out for a few days and playing exhibitions. They are networking events as well. And for Rui Hachimura is definitely the case.

Besides playing in the Rising Stars Game last Friday where he went for dunk after dunk,

Hachimura also got to hangout with Memphis Grizzlies swingman Yuta Watanabe, a George Washington Colonials alum and Texas Legends guard Yudai Baba. All three are members of the Japanese men’s national basketball team, which will host the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo this summer.

Hachimura didn’t just hang out with Moritz Wagner and Davis Bertans. He was also at community services events with NBA legends like Allen Iverson.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard LeBron James also had a chance to speak about Hachimura during media day availability for the All-Star players. He is optimistic about the rookie’s trajectory.

The Wizards will host the Lakers on Saturday, Mar. 28. Though Hachimura probably won’t defend LeBron right away or vice versa, it will be fun to see the two exchange greetings before and after ... a Wizards W!