The Washington Wizards landed in Japan on Wednesday ahead of their two preseason games against the Golden State Warriors.
Washington left Dulles International Airport on Tuesday for a 14-hour flight. The Wizards made the trip in part because of the NBA’s global outreach. The league has played 14 games — 12 of which have been regular-season contests — in Japan, but hasn’t staged an exhibition there since 2019. The Wizards were an obvious candidate to be selected for the series because forward Rui Hachimura is on the roster.
The Wizards drafted Hachimura ninth overall in 2019. The 24-year-old, born in Toyama, Japan, also played for his country in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Japanese fans greeted the team at the airport:
日本に到着！ポルジンギス選手は早速出迎えてくれたファンの皆さんにサイン✍️#ウィザーズ｜@kporzee pic.twitter.com/FhwX1hbW4Z
— ワシントン ウィザーズ (@washwizardsjp) September 28, 2022
The Wizards will play their first preseason game Friday at 6 a.m. Eastern, while their second game will be at 1 a.m. Eastern on Sunday. Both games will be held at Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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