Yuta Watanabe’s challenge to the Brooklyn Nets, a star-studded team, is too thick
Japanese NBA player signs a contract with a popular team, but he says on Twitter that he is "on the edge of a cliff
Yuta Watanabe, 27, who is entering his fifth season in the NBA, the longest of any Japanese player, will begin a new challenge. The Nets have been a member of the team since ’12. The Nets moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 2012, and have become one of the most popular teams in the city with major reinforcements. The Nets are a “star-studded team” with four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant (33) and seven-time All-Star Kyrie Irving (30) dominating the court.
However, Watanabe posted on Twitter, “I will do my best again with a cliffhanger spirit. However, Watanabe posted on Twitter, “I’m going to work hard again with a cliffhanger mentality.
Some local NBA fans posted on social media that he had ‘picked up a diamond in the rough,’ but others were harsh, saying he was chosen because he was ‘cheap. In the press, there is a slightly cold tone, such as ‘It’s not a big move,'” said Makiko Iizuka, a journalist living in the United States.
What is required of Watanabe? Sportswriter Daisuke Sugiura explains.
The first hurdle is to remain on the roster until the season opener in October, which will not be easy because the Nets have a large bench. However, if he can demonstrate his signature three-point shooting and defense, he will be expected to be a super-sub in an offensive-minded team. If he stays in the frame, he will be a welcomed player by his teammates because of his hardworking and well-loved personality.”
Watanabe’s mission is to see if he can bring new chemistry to the star-studded squad.
From the September 16, 2022 issue of FRIDAY
Photo： Kyodo News Afro
