SPOKANE, Wash. – Former Gonzaga standout Rui Hachimura was named one of Japan's flag-bearers for the opening ceremonies at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Hachimura leads Japan's basketball team, which is competing in the Olympics for the first time since 1976 in Montreal. Japan opens its group play against Spain on Monday at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. Japan's second game versus Slovenia (Wednesday) and third against Argentina (July 31) will both be at 9:40 p.m. Pacific Time. All three games will be streamed at NBCOlympics.com.
Hachimura is a native of Toyama, Japan. In the 2019 NBA Draft, he was selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards, becoming the first Japanese-born player taken in the first round. He joined Gonzaga in 2016 as the fifth Japanese-born men's NCAA Division I player, and became the first Japanese national to play in the NCAA Tournament in 2017.
Hachimura was named the 2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award winner. He was also the 2019 West Coast Conference Player of the Year and the USBWA District IX Player of the Year. He was named first team All-American by the NABC and the USBWA, and Wooden All-American. He averaged 19.7 points per game as a junior in 2018-19.
The opening ceremonies will be broadcast live on NBC Friday at 3:55 a.m. Pacific Time. There will be primetime replays on Friday NBC at 4:30 p.m., and 9:10 p.m.
Japan Men's Basketball Group Play Schedule
Monday – vs. Spain, 5 a.m.
https://stream.nbcolympics.com/basketball-mens-prelim-game-6-japan-spain
Wednesday – vs. Slovenia, 9:40 p.m.
https://stream.nbcolympics.com/basketball-mens-prelim-game-11
July 31 – vs. Argentina, 9:40 p.m.
https://stream.nbcolympics.com/basketball-mens-prelim-game-17-argentina-japan
Opening Ceremonies
Friday at
https://stream.nbcolympics.com/nbc-opening-ceremony
NBC schedule with all times Pacific
3:55 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Live Opening Ceremony Coverage
4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Primetime Opening Ceremony (replay)
9:10 p.m. – 1:10 a.m.* Opening Ceremony Primetime Encore (replay)
1:10 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.* Overnight Replay of Opening Ceremony
* Saturday morning
