Still Chasing the Dream: Yuta Tabuse on His NBA Ambition

At 44 years old, he’s still an active player and the oldest team captain

“My motto is ‘Never too late.’ No matter how old I get, I want to keep taking on new challenges. I’m already over 40, but I want to keep pushing myself as much as I can.”

Smiling as he says this is Yuta Tabuse (44), a player for the Utsunomiya Brex in Japan’s B.League. A legend in Japanese basketball, Tabuse first gained attention in high school and became the first Japanese player to make it to the NBA. Standing 173 cm tall, the “Little Giant” was appointed team captain this August — the oldest on the squad — and now looks back on his life of struggle and perseverance.

From the very beginning, Tabuse says he had his sights set on the NBA.

“I started playing basketball when I was eight years old, inspired by my mother, who was a player herself, and my older sister, who’s three years ahead of me. Every morning and evening during meals, we’d watch NBA games that my father recorded on video. I was captivated by the dynamic plays — those big players moving so quickly — and I began dreaming of standing on that NBA stage myself. The player I admired most, and tried to imitate, was Magic Johnson of the Lakers.”

Modeling himself after NBA players, Tabuse quickly stood out among elementary and junior high school players. For high school, he chose Noshiro Technical High School in Akita Prefecture, a powerhouse in Japanese basketball. During his three years there, the team won all three major national titles — the Inter-High School Championship, the National Sports Festival, and the National High School Tournament. He was also selected as a candidate for Japan’s national team — only the second time a current high school student had ever achieved that.

“Go see the world.”

Encouraged by these words from Noshiro Tech coach Mitsuhiko Kato, Tabuse decided to continue his basketball journey in the United States after graduation. He enrolled at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, whose scouts had noticed his play.

“Those early days were really tough. I couldn’t speak a word of English when I entered the dorms. I couldn’t even figure out how to open a bank account, let alone understand my classes. NCAA rules prevent international students from joining team practices during their first year, so I focused entirely on studying English. Just when I was finally allowed to practice in my second year, I suffered a herniated disc and couldn’t move… After surgery, I spent every day in rehabilitation.”

It wasn’t until his third year that he was able to play again. As he began thinking about his future, Tabuse realized how hard it would be for a Japanese player with no record in the U.S. to go straight into the NBA. He decided to return to Japan and pursue a professional career there, leaving BYU–Hawaii and joining Toyota Alvark in May 2002, at age 21.

Driven purely by the thought, “I want to play on that stage!” — he left Toyota!

“In the spring of 2003, after playing one season with Toyota, I decided to take a solo trip to the U.S. to reflect on myself. One of my former college coaches had become an assistant coach for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, so I went to visit him. When I got there, he let me into the Nuggets’ locker room, introduced me to the players — and even let me practice on the court. I was in my early twenties at the time, and the experience was electrifying. That’s when a switch flipped inside me — ‘I want to play on this stage!’”

In September 2003, Tabuse left Toyota and signed with the Nuggets. Although he didn’t make the opening-day roster, he joined the Phoenix Suns the following September (2004) and was officially added to their roster — becoming the first Japanese player ever to appear in an NBA game.

“Facing NBA players, there were moments I felt, ‘They’re incredible,’ and got frustrated because I couldn’t keep up. But there were also times when, even though I was smaller, I realized my speed could compete — and that gave me confidence. My emotions were constantly swinging between highs and lows.”

Then, in December 2004, came a devastating call.

“On my way to morning practice, my agent called and said, ‘You’ve been cut.’ I didn’t see it coming — it was a real shock.”

Determined to fight his way back, Tabuse joined the Long Beach Jam, an independent professional league team.

“Overnight, my lifestyle completely changed — from flying on charter jets and staying at first-class hotels in the NBA to traveling at dawn through airports among ordinary passengers. It was tough. But what really changed me was seeing a famous player who’d also been cut from the NBA and ended up in the same league.

One game, he was sitting next to me on the bench, grumbling, ‘This is ridiculous. What kind of team is this?’ That moment hit me hard — I can’t be like that. The only one who can change me is myself. I wanted people around me to say, ‘He’s built different — he played in the NBA.’ So I threw myself into every single practice.”

After about five years in the U.S., Tabuse returned to Japan in August 2008, at age 27, joining the Link Tochigi Brex (now Utsunomiya Brex). Even at his signing press conference, he made it clear he still had the NBA in mind, saying, “I’m aiming for overwhelming stats.”

“To get noticed by the NBA again, I needed results that everyone would recognize. Of course, I also wanted to contribute to my team through my play. Even now, at 44, I still want to challenge the NBA if the opportunity arises.

With today’s digital world, you never know who’s watching or where opportunities might come from. My mindset has changed, too. I used to look at talented players and think, ‘I won’t lose to them.’ I still have that fire, but now I also want younger players to grow — even if just a little — through what they see from me.”

Now as team captain, he says he’s learned to think more about the team as a whole.

“When something catches my eye in practice or during a game, I like asking younger players, ‘What were you thinking when you made that play?’ I genuinely want to know their perspective. By listening to them and communicating openly, I want us to become stronger as a team. My role has changed as my career has progressed — I’m still learning every day, both as a player and as a captain.”

A man who never stops challenging himself — Yuta Tabuse’s fight goes on.

“Even in the U.S., I never lost when it came to speed.”

From the October 3 and 10, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”