18 Facts About Yuta Tabuse

Yuta Tabuse was the first Japanese-born player to appear in a National Basketball Association game.

Yuta Tabuse has enjoyed popularity in Japan since his high school playing days, when he led his school to three straight national championships, and has been referred to as "the Michael Jordan of Japan" for his celebrity status.

Yuta Tabuse, who was born in Yokohama and grew up in what he calls "a sports family", began playing basketball at the age of nine, because he was not good at baseball and not interested in soccer.

Yuta Tabuse attended Noshiro Technical High School in Akita Prefecture, where he led his team to national championships all three years he was there and lost only a single game.

Yuta Tabuse sat out his first two seasons at BYUH because of eligibility rules and played one season before turning pro.

Yuta Tabuse averaged 7.6 points per game and led the Pacific West Conference with 6.6 assists.

In 2004, Yuta Tabuse joined the Phoenix Suns' training camp and made the opening night roster.

Yuta Tabuse scored seven points in his first NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 3,2004, becoming on that day the first Japanese player ever to play in an NBA regular season game.

Those four games with Phoenix ended up being Yuta Tabuse's only playing time in the NBA throughout his professional basketball career.

Yuta Tabuse only played for 2 minutes and recorded no stats.

In 2005, Yuta Tabuse signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, but was waived before the start of the regular season.

That fall, Yuta Tabuse appeared on a limited edition cover of NBA Live video game in Japan, even though he did not play a single NBA regular season game.

In 2006, Yuta Tabuse decided to forsake an opportunity to play with the Japanese national team in the world championships that took place between August 19 to September 3 across five cities in Japan, and instead play with the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team.

In November 2006, Yuta Tabuse was drafted into the NBA D-League with the 11th pick of the third round by the Bakersfield Jam.

On December 8,2007, Yuta Tabuse was acquired by the Anaheim Arsenal of the D-League, and he made his debut on December 9 against the Bakersfield Jam, scoring 4 points and adding 3 assists in almost 13 minutes of play.

In July 2008, Yuta Tabuse joined the New Jersey Nets' squad in the Orlando Pro Summer League.

Tochigi's head coach Mitsuhiko Kato was in charge of the basketball club of Noshiro Technical High School when Yuta Tabuse played for the school.

In May 2009, ESPN reported that Yuta Tabuse would leave the national team after receiving an invitation by the Dallas Mavericks to compete in their summer camp.