日本語版はこちら
(Note: This article is a translation of the original, which is in Japanese.)
My fifth season in the NBA has finally begun.
Today I would like to share my thoughts on Brooklyn, where I will be playing this season, and Toronto, where I have played my last two seasons.
I feel like I have some kind of deep connection to Brooklyn. I came to the United States, the home of basketball, nine years ago – and so many milestones in my life have happened in this city. Walking the streets of Brooklyn now, with the fall in the air, special memories come flooding back to me.
I was still clinging to the edge of a cliff, never having made the first day roster for five seasons.
– Yuta Watanabe
Four years ago, after graduating from George Washington University, I was taken to practice sessions by various NBA teams. I was hopeful that one of them would pick me in the NBA Draft. The first place I worked was here in Brooklyn.
I continued training with seven different teams, including the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks, but I really clicked with the Nets and was approached to join the team for the 2018 Summer League. of my NBA career.
If you look at the two photos below, you’ll see that I was pretty skinny back then, lol.
I remembered recently that I had a connection with this city, even before the Summer League.
In March 2015, when I was a freshman, I participated in the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. The venue that year was the Barclays Center. It was my first time on an NBA court. The following year, I played in the same tournament, also in Brooklyn. It’s a fierce competition that ends as soon as you lose. I still remember how frustrating it was to come out two years in a row of a tournament where only the champion can advance to the NCAA tournament.
And now I will play in the city again.
At the end of August, I had already signed a contract with the team, but it was only a camp contract, not a full contract. Players being cut one by one, there was no guarantee that I would survive until the start of the season.
I played in the NBA for four seasons, but only with a camp contract. I sincerely thought, Oh, is that all I’m capable of? I was frustrated with myself, not with the team.
Never having made an opening roster for five seasons, I always felt like I was hanging off the edge of a cliff. And I had to survive the camp first, otherwise there was no next step.
I thought, I’m gonna have to start all over again…I’m gonna have to go up from the bottom.
I was quite worried because I had had a series of injuries. From June to September, I spent days without practicing. I can say this now, but there were times when I lost faith that I would even make the opening day roster. And I thought about the fact that there are so many players who never even get invited to camp, but I got that chance again this year. I should be grateful for that.
Player after player was leaving, but I worked my way through to the last preseason game, chasing my dream of becoming a key player on one of the best teams in the NBA.
Then, just before the season opener, general manager Sean Marks officially announced to me that I had been selected as one of the 15 players on the opening day roster. I thanked him for the opportunity.
He said to me, “Yuta, you deserve it.
The roster does not have to be 15 players. With an all-star team like the Nets, that could be as low as 14 – but the reason they kept me there was because they knew I would have a role to play this season. The words of the general manager had convinced me, and I felt both relief to have survived the training camp and joy to see my abilities recognized.
But I had to stop this way of thinking.
With the season already started and my contract unsecured, I’m still hanging on the edge – even though I’m on the roster. So I am determined not to lose a single second and to keep fighting throughout this season.
Toronto has become unforgettable for me.
– Yuta Watanabe
The day after this article was published, October 21, there is a game that has special meaning for me. It’s the second game of the season and it’s at home against the Toronto Raptors, the team I’ve played with for the past two seasons.
I loved Toronto. It was a big city, but it also had a tranquility. It was wonderful, there were lakes and lots of natural beauty, with a real sense of calm. The most surprising thing for me is that I made friends in Toronto who had no connection to basketball, whereas before I had never really made friends outside of this sport. .
I was with the team for two seasons, but was based in Florida the first year due to Covid. So I only lived in Toronto for one season. I will never forget my first visit to Toronto in my second year. When I was walking around the city, I was surprised to hear so many people calling “Yuta!” I was happy that so many people saw me play and support me.
Toronto fans are very passionate, and even after I left the team, many people still sent me nice messages through social media. Toronto has become unforgettable for me, both for the people and for the city. I’m sure I will continue to visit every year, and would like to take this opportunity to say thank you.
Thank you very much to the people of Toronto.
But…from now on, the Raptors are our opponents. Even though they are my former teammates and they know me, when it comes to the game I can’t hold back and I will play to win. The Nets have some of the best scorers in the NBA, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and I suspect the Raptors will play special defense against them. I can’t say for sure, but when I played against the Nets last season, I also played special defense against them. The Raptors change tactics a lot during a game, so I can’t wait to see what they try and I’ll do my best to beat them.
There is something I always try to remember during my trip:
Only 450 people worldwide play in the NBA, the pinnacle of basketball.
With a global pool of 450 million basketball players, 450 people is just 0.0001% of that.
It’s by far the hardest league to get into, and some say it’s even harder to survive: most NBA careers only last two to three years. I’ve been on the edge of the cliff every season and been near the bottom of the list, but the fact that I was one of the 450 selected for five years…I’m very proud of that.
Whether I’m a Japanese player or not, I’m proud that the dream of a little boy who watched the NBA on TV and thought, I wish I could play on this stage toohas been happening for five years.
As a member of the Nets, the most important thing for me now is to show the team what I can do. It’s important for me to find my role. The Nets are a team of superstars. But I’m sure there’s a role in this team where I can succeed and help us win games. I want to carry that on into the season – just like I did in pre-season – and be the player they need me to be.
I’m back in Brooklyn after 4 years.
It’s been about a month and a half since I signed the camp contract and moved to this city. It’s a good place to live, and when I come back after being away, I think, Ah, I’m home.
I particularly like the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn. I go there to eat or just take a walk when I need a break. It is sandwiched between two beautiful bridges, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge, with a view of Manhattan just across the river. The remodeled cobblestone and red brick buildings give the neighborhood a great vibe. I haven’t been able to get out and walk around much yet, but once I get to know Brooklyn better, I’m sure I’ll fall in love with the city even more.
I want to make the most of every day in the NBA so I can keep working hard until the end of the season. And when people walk past me, I hope they call “Yuta!”
#Dear #Brooklyn #Toronto #Yuta #Watanabe