VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France — When Shoreline's Josh Hawkinson corralled a pivotal defensive rebound in the waning seconds of Japan's group game against France Tuesday it appeared an upset was in the making.
Hawkinson pulled in the rebound with Japan leading 82-80 with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter. A pair of free throws gave Japan an 84-80 lead over the host nation at the time.
In desperation mode, France's Matthew Strazel drifted to his left and unfurled an improbable 3-point shot that went in with just 10 seconds left. Strazel was fouled, too, and made the ensuing free throw to send the game to overtime.
France pulled away in overtime with a 94-90 victory to remain unbeaten in group play, but Hawkinson played an important role in Japan's strong showing.
Hawkinson, who grew up in Shoreline and went to Shorewood High School, played 38 of a possible 45 minutes, recording 16 points, eight rebounds and converting four of his six 3-point attempts. He shot 50% from the field, as Japan used a perimeter-oriented attack to nearly beat the favored host nation.
Hawkinson became a Japanese citizen in 2023 and is playing on the team in the Paris Olympic Games. The International Basketball Association allows one naturalized player to be on the roster of a national team.
Prior to his Olympic career, Hawkinson starred at Washington State University where he became the school's all-time leader in rebounds and double-doubles. The 6-foot-10 forward worked out for several professional teams but was not selected in the NBA draft.
So, Hawkinson moved to Japan to begin his professional career. His rockstar status grew after he helped Japan qualify for the Olympic Games — the team's first time in over 60 years. He averaged over 21 points and 11 rebounds during the World Cup.
Now Hawkinson is embracing Japan's opportunity in the Olympics. The Japan side has lost its first two group games but has one more opportunity to secure a win Friday at 2 a.m. PST against Brazil.
"I'm really excited to be a part of it and there's only a handful of people who get the opportunity to be Olympians and just more so looking forward to the process of it and working toward that," Hawkinson said before the Olympics began. "Then once it comes to, I think I can fully embrace what that means."