Rui Hachimura’s Dagger Makes Lakers Early Season Contenders
By James Moreau | 13 Dec, 2025

Veteran PF Rui Hachimura hit a buzzer-beating corner three against the Raptors in a recurring nightmare for Toronto fans.

Los Angeles Lakers Japanese power forward Rui Hachimura delivered a career highlight moment on December 4th by sinking a game-winner against the Toronto Raptors in a thrilling 123-120 victory.  The buzzer-beating corner three was set up by an unselfish pass from LeBron James, whose assist ensured the win but also marked the end of his own historic scoring streak. 

The clutch shot also inspired memes drawing parallels between Japanese players on Los Angeles teams crushing Toronto sports fans’ spirits, recalling Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s World Series heroics versus the Blue Jays.

In his seventh NBA season through 22 games Hachimura is averaging a career high in points per game, 14, and minutes per game, 33.  

The Lakers hold second position in the Western Conference with a 17-6 record.

The 6’8” Hachimura has been a consummate pro averaging 12.9 points per game.

The Washington Wizards selected Hachimura 9th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, making him the first Japanese player ever taken in the first round.  He signed a 4-year $20 million rookie contract with the team.

His first two years saw him starting all 110 of his games played including the postseason for the Wizards.

After averaging 13.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game Hachimura was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.

During the 2023 season Hachimura was traded to the Lakers and signed a 3-year $51 million contract extension that offseason.  He significantly improved his three-point shooting efficiency since then, making 42% of threes compared to 35% prior.  His contributions helped the Lakers win the inaugural NBA Cup championship in 2023.

Hachimura was born in Toyama and raised in Sendai by a Japanese mother and father from Benin.  After winning multiple national high school titles he committed to play collegiately at Gonzaga, where he was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year his junior season in 2019.

Hachimura represented Japan at junior levels of competition and during the 2019 FIBA World Cup and in Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics.