This is the first time in 48 years since the Montreal Olympics that the men’s basketball team will be competing on their own. One of the players attracting attention is Keisei Tominaga (23), who graduated from the University of Nebraska in the United States this year and is aiming to join the professional league, the NBA.
With his outstanding long-distance shooting skills, he participated in the three-on-three format at the Tokyo Olympics. He then joined the Japanese five-on-five team and contributed to Japan’s Olympic qualification at last year’s World Cup held in Okinawa. The roaring cheers that filled the stadium every time one of his shots went into the basket are still fresh in his memory.
In the first round, they are in the same group as strong teams Germany and France, whom they lost to in the World Cup and in friendly matches. “We want to show that we have improved as a team,” he vowed, and said he would like to get revenge. He expects particularly loud cheers from France, the host country, but said, “It’s fun even away from home. I enjoy making three-point shots and silencing the stadium, and I like it.” He hopes to bring silence to the stadium at the real thing.[Photo and text by Wada Daisuke]