NBA player Yuta Watanabe (30, 206 cm) will return to Japan and join the prestigious Chiba Jets of the B.League.

The Jets announced the signing of Watanabe on their official website on Nov. 11. He will wear the No. 1 jersey and his contract runs through the 2024-2025 season.

The George Washington University alum went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, but he didn’t give up, signing a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. He didn’t have a breakout season, but he showed value as a 3&D resource. He played as a sixth man for the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, and others. In his NBA career, 해외 카지노 사이 he averaged 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game in 213 regular-season games.

After last season, Watanabe decided to end his life in the United States and make a full return to Japan. Naturally, every team in the B.League was interested in him. There was reportedly a heated competition under the water to sign him. After much deliberation, Watanabe signed with Chiba, the team of his best friend Yuki Togashi.

Chiba is a B.League stalwart. They won the B.League Finals in the 2020-2021 season and reached the top of the East Asian Super League (EASL) in the 2023-2024 season. With the addition of Watanabe, they now have three Japanese national team members in Togashi and Ren Kanechika. The team will be looking to bounce back from last season’s disappointing quarterfinal exit.

Currently, Watanabe has been called up to the Japanese men’s national basketball team to prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympics. He will join Chiba as soon as the Games are over. Chiba is planning a press conference for Watanabe’s signing in August. It will be interesting to see if Watanabe’s return to Japan will lead Chiba to the top alongside his best friend Togashi.

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