Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura was named to Japan's provisional 16-man roster for the Paris Olympics on Wednesday along with former NBA player Yuta Watanabe.
The Japan Basketball Association released the list for an upcoming training camp as well as two warm-up games against South Korea on July 5 and 7 at Tokyo's Ariake Arena. Japan will send a 12-man team to Paris.
Hachimura, one of Japan's flagbearers at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, opted not to play at last summer's FIBA World Cup when his country co-hosted the tournament in order to focus on his NBA season with the Lakers.
Fellow forward Watanabe, who played for the Phoenix Suns as well as the Memphis Grizzlies last season, and recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate Keisei Tominaga were among the World Cup members named by manager Tom Hovasse to the provisional roster.
Japan beat Finland, Cape Verde and Venezuela at the World Cup to qualify for the Olympics as a non-host for the first time since 1976.
