Who is Yuta Watanabe?
The defensive connoisseur Yuta Watanabe is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) (NBA). Watanabe is popularly known for his decent mastery on the defensive end.
Watanabe is also the first Japanese-born student-athlete to be guaranteed an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. He was also named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2018.
He was also the fourth Japanese-born player to be named Division I basketball player of all time.
Indeed, his resilience, hustle, and basketball IQ are the defining traits during the games. Watanabe has also been praised for his constant motion and presence on both ends of the court.
Discover more fascinating facts about Yuta Watanabe, a Japanese professional basketball player.
Relationship Details, Yuta Watanabe Is single?
Aside from his outstanding achievements on the court, many NBA fans must be curious about his personal life.
Yuta Watanabe has a great fanfare for his looks and amazing physique.
However, the Japanese Yuta Watanabe has not been rumored or linked with anyone. Maybe he is not in a relationship with anyone or has kept his relationship confidential.
Furthermore, his personal life is a mystery to his fans.
Quick facts about Yuta Watanabe
| Full Name | Yuta Watanabe |
| Birth Date | October 13, 1994 |
| Birth Place | Yokohama, Japan |
| Nick Name | The Chosen One |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Ethnicity | Asian |
Yuta Watanabe: Early Life, Age, Wiki, Parents, Ethnicity
Watanabe, a Japanese defensive star, was born on October 13, 1994, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Watanabe was born in Miki, Kagawa. Yuta holds Japanese nationality and belongs to the Asian ethnicity.
In terms of his family, he comes from a long line of basketball players. Kumi Kubota, his mother, was a basketball player for the Chanson V-Magic and the Japanese women’s national team.
Similarly, his father, Hideyuki Watanabe, was a professional basketball player for the Kumagai Gumi Bruins. Watanabe’s sister, Yuki, had played with the Aisin AW Wings.
His favorite NBA team as a child was the Los Angeles Lakers, and he idolized Kobe Bryant as an athlete.
Education, Schooling, University
There is no information about his education and schooling.
Professional Career, (NBA Player)
Memphis Grizzlies
Watanabe went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft and then played in the 2018 NBA Summer League for the Brooklyn Nets.
Later, he signed a two-way deal with Memphis Grizzlies and NBA G League, the Memphis Hustle. He made his debut against the Phoenix Suns in October 2018, averaging 2 points and 2 rebounds off the bench.
Therefore, he became the second Japanese player to play in the NBA after Yuta Tabuse. Furthermore, Watanabe spends the majority of his season with the Memphis Hustles in the G League.
Watanabe averaged 14.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 assists in 32 of 33 games in the NBA G League.
In January 2020, Watanabe scored a team-high 28 points on 12 of 19 field goal shooting and 2-of-4 from three and added 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 assists, and 2 steals in the Memphis Hustle’s 130-126 victory against Iowa Wolves.
As a result, Watanabe was named Western Conference Midseason All-NBA G League.
Raptors of Toronto
Watanabe signed a contract with the Raptors to recruit their pre-season roster on December 19, 2020.
On December 31, he made his Toronto Raptors debut, recording four rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal in nine minutes of action against the New York Knicks.
Then, against the Sacramento Kings in January 2021, he scored a career-high 12 points on 80.0 percent shooting from the field and added 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
During a workout on February 9, he injured his left ankle. As a result, he returned on February 18 against the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 2 rebounds and a block.
In a 113-102 victory over the Orlando Magic in April 2021, Watanabe set a career-high with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from three, as well as 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block.
As a result, Watanabe missed approximately 18 games this season due to a left calf sprain. Hence, he made his comeback and averaged three points and two blocks in 14 minutes of action against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Later that year, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he had a double-double and a career-high 26 points and 13 rebounds.
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National Team Career
Yuta Watanabe made his senior debut for Japan at the 2013 East Asia Basketball Championship at the age of 18 and helped the team win the bronze medal.
During that time, he had scored 22 points and 14 rebounds in a 101-53 win against Macau.
Similarly, at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, he scored 5.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in four games and helped the team achieve ninth place.
Therefore, Watanabe was named to the 12-man roster for the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he scored 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists.
Accordingly, he was selected to compete at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.
Net Worth, Salary, Assets
Yuta Watanabe, a popular basketball player, has a net worth of $1 million to $5 million.
Similarly, his salary is expected to be $1,762,796 in 2020-2021. Watanabe’s salary is 138.86% higher than in 2020-21.
Furthermore, his salary with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019-20 was $79,568.
Rumors and Controversy
Talking about his rumors and controversy, he has not been in any part of rumors as well as controversy to date.
What is the Height of Yuta Watanabe? Weight, Full Body Status
| Age | 27 years old |
| Height | 6’9” (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 98 Kilograms (215 lb) |
| League | NBA |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Body Type | Athletic |
| Profession | NBA Player |
Social Media Accounts
Instagram: 234K Followers
Facebook: 8.6K Followers
Twitter: 188.2K Followers
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