Yuta Tabuse
Template:Short description Template:Family name hatnote Template:Infobox basketball biography Template:Nihongo is a Japanese professional basketball player for Utsunomiya Brex of the B.League. A point guard, Tabuse is Template:Convert and Template:Convert.<ref>According to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Tabuse is listed at Template:Nowrap but stands Template:Convert. (link: BYUH alum Tabuse signs with NuggetsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore)</ref> He was the first Japanese-born player to appear in a National Basketball Association (NBA) game.<ref name=yomiuri>Template:Cite news</ref>
Tabuse has enjoyed popularity in Japan since his high school playing days, when he led his school to three straight national championships, and has been referred to as "the Michael Jordan of Japan" for his celebrity status.<ref name=consulteny>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=starbulletin>Template:Cite news</ref>
CareerEdit
Early yearsEdit
Tabuse, who was born in Yokohama and grew up in what he calls "a sports family", began playing basketball at the age of nine, because he was not good at baseball and not interested in soccer.<ref name=advertiser>Template:Cite news</ref> He attended Noshiro Technical High School in Akita Prefecture, where he led his team to national championships all three years he was there and lost only a single game.<ref name=starbulletin/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:CbignoreTemplate:Dead YouTube link</ref>
After graduation from high school in March 1999, Tabuse chose to enroll at Brigham Young University-Hawaii for its English as an International Language program.<ref name="advertiser"/> He sat out his first two seasons at BYUH because of eligibility rules and played one season before turning pro. He averaged 7.6 points per game and led the Pacific West Conference with 6.6 assists.
Tabuse returned to join the Toyota Alvark, with whom he won the Japan Basketball League Rookie of the Year award for the 2002–03 season.<ref name=consulteny/>
NBA, ABA and NBA D-LeagueEdit
After leaving the Toyota Alvark in 2003, Tabuse became the first Japanese national to play in the NBA's summer league, playing six games in the Rocky Mountain Revue for the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13 minutes per game.<ref name=taipeitimes>Template:Cite news</ref> Tabuse's first attempt at making it to the NBA made the headlines in Japan, and drew large media attention. On September 27 of that year, Tabuse joined the Denver Nuggets' training camp,<ref name=taipeitimes/><ref name=dentransactions03>Denver Nuggets Transactions 2002-03</ref> but he was waived on October 24,<ref name=dentransactions03/> before the start of the regular season.
Tabuse spent the 2003–04 season with the American Basketball Association champion Long Beach Jam, averaging 5.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and a team-high 6.3 assists per game in 18 games.
In 2004, Tabuse joined the Phoenix Suns' training camp and made the opening night roster. He scored seven points in his first NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 3, 2004, becoming on that day the first Japanese player ever to play in an NBA regular season game.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, he was waived by the Suns on December 16, 2004, after playing in four games and rejoined the Jam for the remainder of the ABA season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni said of Tabuse: "I liked his energy, I liked his courage."<ref name="suns_sept2004">Template:Cite news</ref>
Those four games with Phoenix ended up being Tabuse's only playing time in the NBA throughout his professional basketball career. His 4th and final game in the NBA was played on December 15, 2004, in a 108 - 86 win over the Utah Jazz. Tabuse only played for 2 minutes and recorded no stats.
In 2005, Tabuse signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, but was waived before the start of the regular season.<ref name="chooses summer league">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nba.com_clipperswaived">Template:Cite news</ref> That fall, Tabuse appeared on a limited edition cover of NBA Live video game in Japan, even though he did not play a single NBA regular season game.<ref name="kotaku">Template:Cite news</ref> That year, he was drafted by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League (D-League) and averaged 6.5 points and 4.0 assists in 34 games before he was waived on March 16, 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Michael Cooper, former NBA player and Tabuse's coach with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, said of him, "He automatically changes the game because of his quickness and distributing the ball. He's the best fundamental player I've seen around in a long time."<ref name="albuquerque">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2006, Tabuse decided to forsake an opportunity to play with the Japanese national team in the world championships that took place between August 19 to September 3 across five cities in Japan, and instead play with the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team.<ref name="chooses summer league"/> In November 2006, Tabuse was drafted into the NBA D-League with the 11th pick of the third round (35th overall) by the Bakersfield Jam.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2007, Tabuse was cut by the Bakersfield Jam before the 2007–08 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On December 8, 2007, Tabuse was acquired by the Anaheim Arsenal of the D-League,<ref name=tabuse_071207>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and he made his debut on December 9 against the Bakersfield Jam, scoring 4 points and adding 3 assists in almost 13 minutes of play.<ref>Arsenal 119, Jam 109 - Box score</ref> For the 2007–08 season, Tabuse averaged 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 39 games.<ref>NBA Development League: Yuta Tabuse Career Stats and Totals Template:Webarchive</ref>
In July 2008, Tabuse joined the New Jersey Nets' squad in the Orlando Pro Summer League.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Return to JapanEdit
In August 2008, Tabuse signed for Japan Basketball League side Link Tochigi Brex. Tochigi's head coach Mitsuhiko Kato was in charge of the basketball club of Noshiro Technical High School when Tabuse played for the school.<ref name="Japantimes">Template:Cite news</ref>
In April 2009, Tabuse was named to the 22-man roster for the Japan national basketball team. The team played at the FIBA Asia Championship for Men.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In May 2009, ESPN reported that Tabuse would leave the national team after receiving an invitation by the Dallas Mavericks to compete in their summer camp.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2010, his team won the JBL Basketball League championship game. Tabuse was named Finals MVP. Tabuse's team would later win their second Japanese League championship in 2017 under the rebranded Japanese Professional Basketball League. Tabuse continues to play basketball professionally into his forties.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Career statisticsEdit
Template:NBA player statistics legend
Regular seasonEdit
Template:NBA player statistics start |- | align="left" | 2004-05 | align="left" | Phoenix | 4 || 0 || 4.3 || .167 || 1.00 || 1.00 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.8 |- |}
D-LeagueEdit
Template:WNBA player statistics start |- | align="left" | 2005–2006 | align="left" | ABQ | 34 || 4 || 23.2 || .406 || .313 || .780 || 2.1 || 4.0 || 1.2 || 0.0 || 1.21 || 6.5 |- | align="left" | 2006–2007 | align="left" | BAK | 44 || 3 || 18.7 || .412 || .263 || .773 || 1.4 || 3.5 || 0.9 || 0.0 || 1.20 || 6.1 |- | align="left" | 2007–2008 | align="left" | ANA | 39 || 0 || 13.0 || .374 || .341 || .810 || 1.2 || 2.0 || 0.9 || 0.0 || 1.07 || 5.7 |}
JBLEdit
Template:WNBA player statistics start |- | align="left" | 2008–2009 | align="left" | Tochigi | 33 || 33 || 34.2 || .475 || .226 || .742 || 3.5 || 5.6 || 2.3 || 0.1 || 2.24 || 11.0 |- | align="left" | 2009–2010 | align="left" | Tochigi | 26 || -- || 26.6 || .551 || .360 || .803 || 3.1 || 3.5 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 1.46 || 11.8 |- | align="left" | 2010–2011 | align="left" | Tochigi | 31 || -- || 28.8 || .455 || .375 || .792 || 2.6 || 3.4 || 1.3 || 0.1 || 0.97 || 8.7 |- | align="left" | 2011–2012 | align="left" | Tochigi | 39|| || 20.9|| .488|| .156|| .741|| 2.3|| 2.6|| 1.2|| 0.1|| 1.5|| 6.4 |- | align="left" | 2012–2013 | align="left" | Tochigi | 22|| || 26.8|| .476|| .188|| .879|| 2.4|| 2.7|| 0.8|| 0.0|| 1.5|| 10.4 |}
NBLEdit
Template:WNBA player statistics start |- | align="left" | 2013–2014 | align="left" | Tochigi | 54 || || 32.8 || .441 || .330 || .858 || 4.2 || 5.9 || 2.0 || 0.1 || 2.1 || 15.6 |- | align="left" | 2014–15 | align="left" | Tochigi | 51|| || 26.9|| .471|| .250|| .814|| 2.2|| 4.5|| 1.7|| 0.1|| 1.7|| 10.3 |- | align="left" | 2015–16 | align="left" | Tochigi | 50|| || 23.7|| .484|| .310|| .826|| 2.0|| 3.3|| 1.2|| 0.0|| 1.0|| 7.0 |}
B.LeagueEdit
Regular seasonEdit
Template:WNBA player statistics start |- | align="left" | B1 2016–17 | align="left" | Tochigi |59||59||20.8||49.7||27.8||83.9||1.8||3.4||1.0||0.1||0.9||7.4 |- | align="left" | B1 2017–18 | align="left" | Tochigi |60||60||17.9||47.7||13.6||86.2||1.7||2.7||0.8||0.0||0.8||5.4 |- |}
See alsoEdit
- Basketball in Japan
- Basketball in the United States
- List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history