To usher in the new NBA season, the Memphis Grizzlies had an open practice at FedExForum, where rookies Cam Spencer , Jaylen Wells , and Zach Edey took part in the annual rookie dancing competition.
As the rookies wrapped up their performances, Grizzlies point guard Yuki Kawamura stood off to the side with his teammates, that wasn’t part of the plan as the crowd had other plans
Fans in the arena began to chant for Kawamura to join the competition, loudly. Not one to say no to entertaining the crowd, he embraced the moment and hit the “griddy” dance, much to the delight of the audience. He was soon joined by Ja Morant, as the pair added the much-needed excitement to the moment.
Not surprisingly, Kawamura’s performance earned him the top spot in the dance competition, which made him the winner of the Grizzlies’ annual event. The Japanese guard has been a fan favorite during training camp, as he has attracted attention from local supporters, media from Japan, and his teammates.
While he is not expected to be ever present in the team, he can add flair and much-needed firepower to a Grizzlies team that are desperate to return to the summit in the hotly contested Western Conference. The Memphis Grizzlies end their preseason with a game against the Miami Heat.
The Memphis Grizzlies have looked fired up with rookie Zach Edey on their roster. But he isn’t the only one turning heads as first-year guard Yuki Kawamura has emerged as a standout over the past few games. He went viral for a pass to Edey during a game against the Chicago Bulls, and then chose to deliver another highlight-worthy moment against the Indiana Pacers.
This took place during the third quarter of the game against the Pacers, where he executed a no-look pass to Jay Huff that quickly went viral. It has amassed over 49,000 likes on Instagram and 500,000 views on Twitter within hours.
Despite this being his first NBA season, Kawamura had brought valuable experience from his time at the Olympics and the Japanese league, where he played for the Yokohama B-Corsairs. His standout performance during the Olympics, saw him record 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists against France.
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