Rui Hachimura is a remarkably talented Japanese player who recently joined the Washington Wizards as a first-round draft pick – making him Japan’s only NBA representative. With countless eyes watching, his team holds an unshakable hope that he will shine in the spotlight and prosper during this incredible opportunity.
So let us have a comprehensive look at Rui Hachimura’s parents, ethnicity and more
Rui Hachimura Parents: Is He Japanese?
On February 8, 1998, Rui Hachimura was born to Makiko and Zakari Jabil in Toyama Prefecture. Now 24 years old, his accomplishments are extraordinary – especially considering he comes from a mixed background: Japanese on his mother’s side and Beninese on his father’s. His diverse heritage certainly had an impact during his early years of development, but it has ultimately made him into the strong individual he is today.
When Rui Hachimura’s Benin-born father, Zakir Jabil, moved to Japan for his career, he encountered Makiko, a student at the time of their meeting. Sparks flew between them and soon blossomed into loving marriage; when they welcomed Rui Hachimuar into their lives, he became an official citizen of Japan and had since proudly represented his home country on the Japanese National Team in basketball.
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Rui Hachimura, which can be translated to mean ‘base’ or ‘fortress’ in Japanese, was aptly named by his grandfather. His surname is derived from his mother’s family registry. Surrounded by a loving and supportive family consisting of three siblings – one brother and two sisters- Rui has much to be thankful for. Out of the four children, the youngest sibling Allen stands out as he is an incredibly talented basketball player at Tokai University in Japan!
Rui Hachimura: Japanese Professional Basketball Player
After waiting for an entire year due to the [event’s] postponement, The Black Samurai has finally made history as the first Japanese basketball player ever drafted in the first round of an NBA draft. Unsurprisingly, he is prepared and ready to take on one of the world’s most significant sporting events. His prolific career has inspired many, cementing his status as one of Japan’s most remarkable professional athletes.
As Rui Hachimura discovered his undeniable gifts in basketball, he decided to take a different route than becoming a baseball player. His remarkable talent and unwavering determination resulted in him leading his team to three consecutive All-Japan tournaments – all of which they won! It wasn’t long before he became an esteemed Japanese age-grade national team star.
| Name | Rui Hachimura |
| Profession | Basketball |
| Father | Zakari Jabil |
| Mother | Makiko |
| Rui Hachimura Nationality | Japanese |
In 2016, Rui Hachimura was recognized and respected as a superior basketball player amongst international college-level players. His skill earned him an opportunity to join the NCAA Division I team Gonzaga Bulldogs, making history by being the first Japanese national to participate in a men’s division I tournament.
During his second year in college, Rui Hachimura was nominated for the Naismith College player of the year, an award given to the top men’s and women’s collegiate players.
His luck came knocking in the form of the Washington Wizards for its 2019 NBA draft. Rui Hachimura performed impressively on his debut, achieving a double-double and win. Still, he, unfortunately, could not continue with such success throughout the rest of his rookie year due to numerous injuries.
Even though during the second season also, Rui Hachimura had to struggle with his injuries, he managed to have consistency in his career. He tried hard to make his career statistics higher.
Rui Hachimura Early Life
From a young age, Rui Hachimura experienced how his cultural and ethnic identity caused various obstacles for him. Although he encountered many hardships connected to his background, Rui never shied away from discussing the difficulties of reconciling with both sides of himself growing up. To this day, he continues to use these experiences to inspire others in their similar journeys.
He recalls, “when I was a kid, I was always trying to hide from people because I was different. It was tough as a kid. I had a hard experience. I think we were the only black family in the town. As a mixed-race kid growing up in Japan was very hard, you know. When I was a kid, there weren’t many mixed families, especially in my hometown- it’s small in the countryside. But I started playing basketball and sports and was good at it. I was more athletic than anybody else and was good at everything: baseball, basketball, karate, soccer, and track and field. That’s how people started to respect me more”.
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After battling for so long, Rui Hachimura eventually embraced his mixed-race background and hoped that his actions would motivate other young people of Japan to love themselves. Racism won’t be eradicated until black no longer symbolizes something wrong while white remains the colour of harmony and peace. The world’s outlook on race, skin tone and culture will never vanish since it is how humans are made up.
Rui Hachimura represents Japan internationally, and he was making his career steep with every possible game that came forefront. Moreover, daily, Rui Hachimura was subjected to vehement racist comments and referred to the anti-black insults Rui and his brother discussed.
Rui Hachimura Career Highlights
- NBA All-Rookie Second 2020
- Consensus first-team All-American 2019
- He won Julius Erving Award in 2019
- WCC Player of the year
- First-team All-WCC twice