Basketball: Yuki Kawamura has 10 pts, 7 assists in preseason for Memphis

NEW YORK (Kyodo) — Guard Yuki Kawamura made another strong impression in preseason for the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, dishing a game-high seven assists to go with 10 points off the bench in a 120-116 win against the Indiana Pacers.

The Japanese Olympic men’s basketball standout had his first double-digit scoring game in NBA preseason while also going viral on social media with one of his assists at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

In the third quarter, Kawamura found teammate Jay Huff for a layup with a spectacular no-look pass that has been racking up views on the NBA’s official accounts on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter.

The 23-year-old Kawamura shot 3-from-7 from the floor, all from three-point range, in 25 minutes after entering midway through the first quarter.

Rookie center Zach Edey, who Memphis took with the No. 9 draft pick, came up big for the Grizzlies with 23 points and nine rebounds.

Listed by Memphis at 173 centimeters, Kawamura is gunning to become one of the smallest NBA players in recent times.

He has signed an Exhibit 10 training camp contract that can be converted to a two-way contract, which would allow him to split time between Memphis and its developmental G League affiliate.