Ask B Leager! Yuki Togashi, the commander of the Japanese basketball world, "The World's Best Stage" Vol.1 "Two American Challenges, Never Satisfied"
What kind of days did you spend when you were 15 years old? Many people have just entered high school and have just started a new path. One boy traveled to the United States alone to master the basket. Despite his small size of 167 cm, he was shaved in the world's highest peak and is now called the commander of the Japanese basketball world. A high-speed dribble that cuts through the air on the court, and a floater that laughs at the confronting Big Man. The only thing that comes to mind after hearing that series of plays. Yuki Togashi, point guard of Chiba Jets Funabashi. In this interview, we talked about the experience gained from the American challenge and his journey to climbing the national team of Japan at just 24 years of age.
Principal Sato
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2017/11/28
- Todashi is now running through the front lines of the Japanese basketball world, but what was the reason for starting basketball in the first place?
Togashi: Both of my parents were playing basketball when I was a student, but my father was playing a coach of basketball as a trigger. However, I was forced to my father forced me to practice range and I started from there, so I did not start basketball because I wanted to do it myself.
- It was surprising that "I did not start wanting to do". They are two people who are also in the positions of director and athlete, respectively. Was there a part that felt uncomfortable to have a director (father) after returning home?
Togashi: After all I had a complex feeling. Originally I was not talking with my father, not only at home, but also at club activities, but I was often scolded on the basketball court.
When I finished club activities, I was honestly disgusted that the angry principal was normal. So at that time it may have ignored what my father told me (laugh).
When I finished club activities, I was honestly disgusted that the angry principal was normal. So at that time it may have ignored what my father told me (laugh).
- That's right (laugh). Just Togashi shifted the stage to play to the United States immediately after graduating from junior high school, but was there influence of his father behind the decision of overseas challenge?
Togashi: I did not go to the United States because I was told my father would go. At that time I was wondering whether it was a challenge to the United States or to go to high school in Japan, but from my friends and basketball friends around me that I was pushed back to "I want to go to the USA!" It was the biggest.
However, although I decided to cross the ocean, there was still a bit of trouble. I thought "If I go," I thought, but because English was not good enough. That did not mean I studied English hard enough, but I did not have much sense of crisis, so I decided to open up "I will stop thinking again and I will go for the time being!"
- I think that English is indispensable for overseas communication, but do you study after going to America?
TogashiAfter studying in the United States you studied truly. But at first I can not do it at all (laugh). Because I remembered just a word for the time being, I talked with words lined up rather than talking in sentences. Perhaps from those who are listening, I think I did not know what I wanted to tell you (laugh).
In the United States, I lived in a dormitory of a team I was enrolled in, and as I live with my members 24 hours a day, 365 days, I feel like I gradually became able to communicate.
- I see. So how about playing?
Togashi: It is frustrating, but I have finished without being confident with playing for three years in high school in the USA.
What I came up to junior high school did not pass at all, and even if I could do it occasionally it was difficult to maintain my condition. Still it was managed to get the manager to the manager, but eventually I could not have a firm confidence to the end.
Even with the content of the play, if you have space, hit the shot and then try hard. I could only do such a monotonous play, I could not penetrate my play style.
So I have not felt it was fun to play, I never had a satisfaction.
However, I think that I could have grown so far by looking back now because I had three years of high school experience I spent in the USA.
After graduating from high school, I returned to Japan and joined Akita Northern Happinets. Is it that you were convinced of growth in the United States by playing in Japan and having the result?
Togashi:I agree. Since I came back to Japan, I was able to contribute not only to the offense but also to the team in terms of defense, so I felt that "Oh my play is passable." As for the aspect of such play, since the director also praised, I think that experience in the United States was not useless.
- After the 2013-14 season, I was challenged again to America, but have you remained in the impression or the impression that you felt compared to when you were in high school?
Togashi: Because it was the second time in America, there was not much impact there. Strictly speaking, the accommodation place and practice facilities of NBA were much fulfilling compared to the time of high school and Japanese team.
On the contrary, in high school days, "I wonder if physical ability is so different in the same age", "Is there a difference in height up to here?", I was puzzled just by surprises (laugh). In addition, the team mate of the time and the players of the competing battle had become the NBA player as it was, the level was wrong.
In other parts, I think that it did not go beyond imagination, not falling below.
- Again, the size of the body, the strength part is different in magnitude from the scale of the Japanese compared with the Japanese. Due to such a difference in physical constitution, was the current play style completed with high speed dribbling and floater shoot etc. as a weapon?
Togashi:I agree. As a result of polishing speed and shooting to compensate for the low height, I feel that the current play style was established.
- I see. So, including Togashi like that, what do you think is the biggest property that Togashi got through two American challenges?
Togashi: After all I think that I was able to have a different experience from the other generation of the same generation. The summer league (League which is said to be the NBA 's league to be played off during the season) is 20 years old, because the D - League (league aimed at future NBA players) was able to play at the age of 21.
However, I did not challenge America because I wanted to do something different from people, I think that I'm connected to myself now because I thought that I'd like to do it on the stage above since I was young.
15歳でのアメリカ挑戦に加えて、日本に帰国後、大学に進学せずにプロのキャリアをスタートさせたこと。この2つは富樫勇樹というバスケットプレーヤーにとってのターニングポイントであり、1人の人間として成長できたことにおいても大きい選択だったと思います。
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