NBA's Drafting of Hachimura Creates Buzz

Former Gonzaga University player Rui Hachimura became more widely known in the basketball world with his first-round selection in the 2019 NBA Draft on Thursday.

However, the potential off-the-court global impact of Hachimura is just as much a trending topic on the web.

• The day after he was selected No. 9 by the Washington Wizards, it was announced by Nissin Foods that they had signed him to a multi-year global sponsorship deal;
• The New York Times had a feature article about how Rui Hachimura is Ready to Make History for Japan in the NBA; and
• A post on Quartz.com predicted his diverse cultural background as “the future of basketball”.

Gonzaga fans remember Hachiumura the student – who came to GU with a desire to learn about basketball, but also to become better acclimated to American culture and language with the help of the university’s English Language Center. >>> Read: “Rui Hachimura Learns English”

Brandon Clarke, Hachimura’s teammate at Gonzaga, was also drafted in the first round, making the Zags duo the first in school history to achieve that status. >>> Read more at: GoZags.com