Yuta Watanabe quits the NBA to play in Japan

Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe has announced that he is quitting the NBA to play in the Japanese B.League next season.

Key points:

Watanabe spent six seasons in the NBA, playing for five different teams.
On April 19, he went on Instagram Live to announce his decision, citing mental health and a desire for consistent playing time.
As a key player for Japan’s national team, he is expected to be a major draw for the B.League.

The details:

Watanabe is the second Japanese player to play in the NBA, behind Yuta Tabuse, who played a short stint for the Phoenix Suns in 2004. Watanabe joined the league in 2018 and played a total of 213 games across stints with the Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns.
He averaged 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, shooting 43% from the field, 37% from three-point range and 68% from the free-throw line.
In his six-year stint with the NBA, he made $6.4 million. He turned down a $2.7 million player option in his contract for the 2024-25 season with the Grizzlies.
In his announcement, Watanabe said he wants to play more consistently, something that did not happen in his last NBA season.
“I just want to play basketball. I want to step into the game and do what I do in practice,” he said in Japanese. “I grinded through my 20s but now I hope to play basketball the way I like.”
Despite being a solid role player known for his shooting and defense, finding a consistent spot on an NBA roster has proved challenging for Watanabe.

What’s next:

Watanabe is expected to represent Japan at the 2024 Paris Olympics before joining the B.League. Pundits believe that he will likely be a major star in the B.League and help raise the level of Japanese basketball.

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