Love Brooklyn and Toronto | By Yuta Watanabe

日本語版はこちら

(Note: This article is a translation of the original, which is in Japanese.)

My fifth season in the NBA has finally begun.

Today I want to share my thoughts on Brooklyn where I will be playing this season and Toronto where I have played my last two seasons.

I feel like I have some kind of deep connection to Brooklyn. I came to the USA, the home of basketball, nine years ago – and so many milestones in my life have happened in this city. Now, as I walk the streets of Brooklyn with fall in the air, special memories come to mind.

I was always hanging on the edge of a cliff because I’ve never been on the starting lineup in five seasons.

– Yuta Watanabe

Four years ago, after graduating from George Washington University, I was invited to practice by various NBA teams. I had hopes that one of them would pick me in the NBA draft. The first place I worked was here in Brooklyn.

I continued training with seven different teams, including the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks, but I really clicked with the Nets and was approached to join the team for the 2018 Summer League. That was the start of my NBA career.

If you look at the two photos below you will see that I was pretty skinny at the time lol.

I recently recalled having a previous connection to this city before Summer League.

In March 2015, when I was a freshman, I played the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. The venue this year was the Barclays Center. That was the first time I stepped onto an NBA court. The following year I played at the same tournament, also in Brooklyn. It’s a grueling competition that ends when you lose. I still remember how frustrating it was to be eliminated from a tournament two years in a row where only the champion can advance to the NCAA tournament.

And now I’m playing in the city again.

At the end of August I had already signed a contract with the team, but it was only a camp contract, not a full contract. With players being cut one at a time, there was no guarantee I would survive to the start of the season.

I’ve played four seasons in the NBA, but only ever on a camp contract. I honestly thought Oh is this all I’m capable of? I was frustrated with myself, not with the team.

Having never been on an opening day roster in five seasons has always felt like I’m hanging on the edge of a cliff. And I had to survive the camp first, otherwise there was no next step.

I thought, I have to start all over again… I have to climb from the bottom up again.

I was quite worried because I had a number of injuries. From June to September I went days without practicing. I can say that now, but there were times when I lost confidence that I would even make the opening day list. And I thought about how there are so many players who don’t even get invited to camp, but I had that chance again this year. I had to be thankful for that.

Players left one by one, but I pushed through to the last game of the preseason and pursued my dream of becoming a key player on one of the NBA’s best teams.

Then, just before the season opener, I was officially notified by General Manager Sean Marks that I had been selected as one of the 15 players for the Opening Day lineup. I thanked him for the opportunity.

He said to me: “Yuta, you deserve it.”

The squad does not necessarily have to include 15 players. With a star-studded team like the Nets, it might only be 14 — but they kept me because they knew I was going to be a part this season. The GM’s words had convinced me of that and I felt both relief at having survived the training camp and joy at the recognition of my abilities.

But I had to turn that mindset off.

As the season has already started and my contract is not guaranteed, I’m still hanging on the sidelines – even though I’m on the squad. That’s why I’m determined not to waste a single second and to keep fighting through this season.

Toronto has become unforgettable for me.

– Yuta Watanabe

The day after the publication of this article, October 21st, there is a game that has a special meaning for me. It’s the second game of the season and at home against the Toronto Raptors, the team I’ve played for the last two seasons.

I loved Toronto. It was a big city but also had a peaceful atmosphere. It was wonderful, there were lakes and lots of natural beauty, with a real sense of calm. The most surprising thing for me was that I made friends in Toronto who had no connection to basketball, whereas before I had never really made friends outside of the sport.

I was on the team for two seasons, but because of Covid I was based in Florida the first year. So I only lived in Toronto for one season. I will never forget my first visit to Toronto in my sophomore year. As I walked around the city, I was surprised to hear so many people shouting “Yuta!” I was happy that so many people saw me play and supported me.

The Toronto fans are very passionate, and even after I left the team, many people still sent me kind messages on social media. Toronto has become unforgettable for me, both the people and the city. I am sure that I will visit them again every year and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you.

Thank you to the people of Toronto.

But… from now on, the Raptors are our opponents. Even though they are my former teammates and know me, I can’t hold back in the game and will play to win. The Nets have some of the top scorers in the NBA, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and I suspect the Raptors will play a special defense against them. I can’t say for sure, but when I played against the Nets last season, I played a special defense against them as well. The Raptors often change their tactics during a game so I look forward to seeing what they will try and I will do my best to beat them.

There is something I always try to remember on my journey:

Only 450 people around the world play in the NBA, the premier league of basketball.

In a global pool of 450 million basketball players, 450 people are just 0.0001% of that.

It’s by far the hardest league to break into, and some say it’s even harder to survive in: Most NBA careers are meant to last only two to three years. I’ve been on the edge of the cliff every season and almost at the bottom of the roster, but the fact that I’ve been one of the selected 450 for five years … I’m very proud of that.

Regardless of whether I’m a Japanese player or not, I’m proud that the dream of a little kid who once saw the NBA on TV and thought, I wish I could play on this stage toohas been fulfilled for five years.

As a member of the Nets, the most important thing for me now is to show the team what I can do. It’s important to me to find my role. The Nets are a team of superstars. But I’m sure there is a role in this team where I can be successful and help us win games. I want to continue to pursue that throughout the season – just like I did preseason – and be the player they need from me.

I’m back in Brooklyn after 4 years.

It’s been about a month and a half since I signed the storage contract and moved to this town. It’s a great place to live and when I come back after my absence I think Ah, I’m home.

I especially love the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn. I eat there or just walk around when I need a break. It sits between two beautiful bridges, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge, with views of Manhattan across the river. The renovated cobblestone and red brick buildings give the area a great vibe. I haven’t been able to get out and walk around much yet, but once I get to know Brooklyn better I’m sure I’ll fall in love with the city even more.

I want to make the most of every day I have in the NBA to keep working hard until the end of the season. And hopefully when people walk past me, they’ll yell “Yuta!”