NBA’s tallest star, ‘Alien’ Wembanyama, meets Japan’s shortest Togashi in the group stage Japan loses to ‘Jangdae Forest’ in overtime
‘Basketball is about heart, not height’ Japan’s Yuki Togashi (left), the shortest player (167cm) among the men’s basketball players participating in the Paris Olympics, is blocking the tallest player (222cm) Victor Wembanyama (France) in the Group B match against France on the 31st. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) posted a photo of this scene on Instagram and described it as a ‘historic photo’.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) posted a photo on Instagram on the 31st during the second match of Group B of the Paris Olympics men’s basketball between France and Japan. It was a photo of Japanese guard Yuki Togashi (31, 167 cm), the shortest male basketball player participating in the tournament, struggling to block the tallest French forward Victor Wembanyama (20, 222 cm). FIBA described the scene of the two, with a height difference of 55 cm, facing off as a “historic photo.”
“Alien” Wembanyama, the tallest active player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award (regular league average of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks) in the 2023-2024 season while playing for San Antonio. The average height of France, ranked 9th in the FIBA rankings with Wembanyama at the forefront, is 200cm. Japan, whose average height is 6cm shorter than France, is ranked 26th. For this reason, many overseas media outlets predicted an overwhelming victory for France, which has the upper hand in objective power and height.
However, Japan, the only Asian country to participate in the Olympics, lost 90-94 in a close match that went into overtime. Japan attacked France’s ‘forest of long poles’ with its fast feet and outside shooting. Japan scored 11 fast-break points, 2 more than France. Both teams attempted 37 3-point shots, and Japan’s success rate was 43% (16 successful shots), higher than France’s 41% (15 successful shots). Japan’s short guard Yuki Kawamura (23, 172cm), the second shortest on the team, led the offense by scoring 29 points, the most among both teams.
Japan was leading 84-80 with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter. However, they allowed a 3-pointer to France’s Matthew Strazel and also gave up an additional free throw due to a foul, giving up 4 points in an instant. France, who recovered, won their second game in the group stage thanks to the performance of Wembanyama (18 points, 11 rebounds), who scored 8 points in overtime alone. Japan lost their second game in a row. The
Paris Olympics website said, “Japan left Pierre Maurois Stadium with respect.” Wembanyama, who played a key role in France’s victory, also said, “Japan was a team that utilized their strengths well. It was a game where I felt I could learn from Japan.” 카지노사이트
