PARIS, France — The USA men's and women's basketball teams will be the favorites to win gold in Paris, but several other teams will have players from the Pacific Northwest on their rosters.
Washington's Josh Hawkinson grew up in Shoreline and went to Shorewood High School, but he's spent the past seven years playing professional basketball in Japan.
The International Basketball Association allows one naturalized player to be on the roster of a national team.
Hawkinson became a Japanese citizen in 2023, and is playing on the team in the Paris Olympic Games. His first game was against Germany on Saturday; Japan lost 97-77. But, Japan is back on the court Tuesday against France.
Hawkinson's basketball career took off in Pullman.
At Washington State University, he became the school's all-time leader in rebounds and double-doubles.
"Playing in the Pac-12, you're playing against future NBA first-round draft picks, NBA superstars, so, on a nightly basis playing against those guys, that definitely makes you better and you are put into the spotlight to compete against those type of guy, so it's a really great opportunity," he said.
He loved his time at WSU, but said he fell in love with basketball long before he wore the crimson and grey.
"I think the ball was just always integrated into my life from a really early age, like 'ball' was my first-ever word. And then obviously growing up having parents who both played professional basketball, it's kind of just in your blood and your nature to play the game," he told KING 5.
After Washington State, he dreamed of playing in the NBA. He said he worked out for several professional teams, but wasn't selected in the NBA draft.
So, he moved to Japan to begin his professional career.
"At first I was really homesick. And I didn't really know what to expect living by myself and I was in a foreign country just trying to kind of figure that out," he said.
He soon embraced the culture and learned the language. But, he likes to do most of his talking on the court. Now, going into his eighth season, Hawkinson is one of the best players in the league.
"It's been an incredible opportunity and an experience just kind of trying to raise the level of Japanese basketball and seeing how much the game has grown there," Hawkinson said. "So I'm really proud of the fact that I'm a part of that."
Thanks to his 6-foot-10 frame and blond hair, he's also become somewhat of a superstar. One time, he was stepping out of a cab with friends and was met with a line of 15 or so people, waiting for his arrival.
"I was not ready for that at all," he said. "That's definitely life-changing."
Hawkinson's 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.
"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," he said. "Then once it comes to, I think I can fully embrace what that means."
