J. R. Sakuragi Explained

J. R. Sakuragi
Position:Supervising coach
Height Ft:6
Height In:8
Weight Lb:226
League:B.League
Team:Toyama Grouses
Nationality:American / Japanese
Birth Date:30 October 1976
Birth Place:Bakersfield, California, U.S.
College:UCLA (1994–1998)
Draft Year:1998
Draft Round:2
Draft Pick:56
Draft Team:Vancouver Grizzlies
Career Start:1998
Career End:2023
Career Number:52
Career Position:Power forward / center
Years1:1998–1999
Years3:1999–2001
Team3:Las Vegas Silver Bandits
Years4:2001
Years5:2001
Years6:2001–2005
Years7:2005
Team7:Marinos de Anzoátegui
Years8:2006
Years9:2006–2007
Team9:Aisin Seahorses
Years10:2007
Team10:Grises de Humacao
Years11:2007–2020
Team11:Aisin Seahorses
Years12:2023
Team12:Koshigaya Alphas
Cyears1:2020–2021
Cteam1:Aisin AW Wings
Cyears2:2021–2023
Cteam2:Koshigaya Alphas
Cyears3:2023–present
Cteam3:Toyama Grouses
Highlights:
  • 3× JBL MVP (2011-2013)
  • JBL Finals MVP (2013)
  • B.League Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)
  • NCAA champion (1995)
  • 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (1996, 1998)

is an American-Japanese professional basketball player.

Biography

Raised in Bakersfield, California, Sakuragi played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and was a member of the Bruins' national championship team in 1994–95. He was able to play all five positions.[1] On the NCAA championship team in his freshman year, Sakuragi was named the team's most valuable freshman along with Toby Bailey.[2] He was named to the All-Pac-10 first team during his sophomore and senior seasons,[3] and was also named the Bruins' co-most valuable player both years as well.[4] He averaged 14.2 points per game in his four-year career at the school. He was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 2nd round (56th pick) of the 1998 NBA draft where he played one season.[5]

Sakuragi played the next two years for teams in Las Vegas and France and summer-league teams in Puerto Rico and the Philippines. In 2001, he moved to Japan to play for the Aisin Seahorses of the JBL Super League, averaging 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in 2006.[5]

Sakuragi's application to become a naturalized Japanese citizen cleared on July 2, 2007, and he changed his name from J. R. Henderson to J. R. Sakuragi.[5] [6] He chose his new name for two reasons: firstly, he thought a Japanese name would speed up the naturalization, and secondly for the Japanese sakura cherry blossoms. It also corresponded to the name of Hanamichi Sakuragi, the protagonist of the popular basketball manga Slam Dunk.[7]

Sakuragi played for the Japan national team as they competed in the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, a qualifier for the 2008 Summer Olympics.[8]

To comply with Japanese naturalization requirements, Sakuragi taught himself to read, speak and write Japanese at a "rudimentary level". He intended to stay in Japan without intention of returning to live in the U.S.[7]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Bolch. Ben. Maddy. Eric. Where are they now? A look at UCLA's 1995 NCAA men's basketball championship team. March 21, 2020. Los Angeles Times. March 22, 2020.
  2. Web site: Finney . Ryan . 2010–11 UCLA Men's Basketball Media Guide . 111 . 2010 . UCLA Athletic Department . https://web.archive.org/web/20110708213026/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ucla/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/1011MBB_MG_History.pdf . July 8, 2011 . finney2010 . dead .
  3. [#finney2010|Finney 2010]
  4. [#finney2010|Finney 2010]
  5. Kaz Nagatsuka, Former UCLA player gets Japanese citizenship, spot on national hoops team, The Japan Times, July 17, 2007.
  6. Jerry Crowe, Former Bruin a true citizen of the world, Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2007.
  7. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jan-21-sp-crowe21-story.html Former Bruin is now Japan’s J.R. Sakuragi
  8. Jerry Crowe, Former Bruin finds security in his adopted homeland, Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2007.