Rui Hachimura's Parents - He Inherited Father's Body and Mother's Diligence

Rui Hachimura's parents were asked daily by their Americanophile teenage son for pizza and hamburgers for every meal. As the first Japanese-born basketball player to get a first-draft pick in the NBA, he has become part of American culture.

Named the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year for the 2018-19 season, Rui Hachimura gave basketball a go in junior high after a friend invited him every day for two weeks.

He credits his first high school coach for nurturing his dream of playing in the NBA. Initially with the Washington Wizards for two seasons, the forward now averages 11,2 baskets per game for the Los Angeles Lakers.

What Is Rui Hachimura's Parents' Ethnicity?

Rui is the eldest of four children born to Makiko Hachimura, a Japanese native, and Zakari Jabil, from Benin. The future sportsman came into the world on February 8, 1998, in Toyama on the west coast of Japan.

The Gen Z superstar has reflected on the gifts passed on from each parent, "I inherited a privileged body from my father and the diligence to keep making efforts from my mother."

His brother, Aren Hachimura, is also a basketball player. He plays the game at Tokai University in Tokyo. In May 2021, Rui backed him up on social media when he experienced racial trolling.

Rui Hachimura Struggled with Discrimination Being a Bi-Racial Child

According to a profile on the player in Bleacher Report, 'hafu' is the term for a person of mixed heritage. As a child, Rui felt othered by his peers and the people in their town.

When he was twelve, he felt true diversity for the first time on a family vacation to New York City. "In Japan, people look the same," Rui explained:

"In New York, people looked different. It was fun just to be a little brat walking around the city. It was new to me. I was anonymous."

At school, his friendly demeanor, ever-present smile, and athleticism helped him break through to some classmates and their disapproving parents. Rui tried his hand at soccer, track, and karate and finally hit his stride with baseball and basketball.

His fascination with American culture started when he was young. His parents spoke only a few English words, so he tried to learn the language through "The Fast and the Furious" movies, the franchise starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster, with subtitles.

"The culture is different. I'm black, but I'm totally Japanese. It was hard to adjust," the 6'8" talent said of his transition to college in Spokane, Washington.

"He always has a smile on his face, and he always nods," his college coach Mark Few said in 2018. "And I always tell the staff, 'When he gives you that nod, what it means is he has no idea what the hell you're talking about.'"

As a freshman in college, Rui barely got any floor time, yet he had his contingent of press.

Mark estimates that Rui probably only absorbed around 10 percent during his first year. It was difficult for the student to get on the floor, but when he got there, his style "was something to watch."

Rui Hachimura Carried the Flag at Tokyo Olympics

The Lakers forward are one of the few sports stars of mixed Japanese heritage to make a name for themselves globally, namely tennis player Naomi Osaka and 100-meter athlete Abdul Hakim Sani Brown.

Rui was "very honored and very happy" when he was selected to put the "weight of the Hinomaru" (the flag of Japan) on his shoulders at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony.

As a freshman in college, Rui barely got any floor time, yet he had his contingent of press. He was so popular in his native Japan that journalists would fly from Asia to cover his journey in America.

In his senior year at Meisei High School, Hachimura was posing for selfies with fans and giving out autographs. During the 2019 draft, he was the ninth pick in the first round for the Washington Wizards.

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