Yudai Baba

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Japanese name, the surname is Baba.
Yudai Baba
馬場 雄大
Yudai Baba.jpg
Baba with Alvark Tokyo in 2018
Free agent
PositionShooting guard
Personal information
Born (1995-11-07) November 7, 1995 (age 25)
Toyama, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High schoolToyama Daiichi
(Toyama, Toyama)
CollegeUniversity of Tsukuba
NBA draft2017 / Undrafted
Playing career2017–present
Career history
2017–2019Alvark Tokyo
2019–2020Texas Legends
2020–2021Melbourne United
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
hide
Medals
Representing  Japan
FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Nha Trang

Yudai Baba (馬場 雄大, Baba Yūdai, born November 7, 1995) is a Japanese professional basketball player who last played for Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the University of Tsukuba. Baba has been a member of the Japan men's national basketball team.

High school career[]

Baba played at Toyama Daiichi High School where his father, Toshiharu Baba, was the head coach at that time.[1]

College career[]

Baba played for the men's basketball team of the University of Tsukuba. In 2015, he was a part of the team that won the 67th All Japan Intercollegiate Basketball Championship.[2] In 2016, Baba, along with teammate Shusuke Ikuhara, received the best player award as Tsukuba won the 68th All Japan Intercollegiate Basketball Championship for the third time in a row.[3]

Professional career[]

Alvark Tokyo (2017–2019)[]

2017–18 season[]

On June 30, 2017, Baba joined the Alvark Tokyo of the B.League.[4] On November 17, he scored a career-high 22 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block across 27 minutes in an 81–76 loss to Levanga Hokkaido.[5] On December 24, Baba had 14 points and a career-high three blocks in a 62–60 loss to the Hitachi Sun Rockers.[6] Baba helped Tokyo defeat the Chiba Jets Funabashi to claim their first B.League championship title, tallying 14 points and three steals in the final game.[7] Following his impressive debut season, Baba was named Newcomer of the Year.[8]

2018–19 season[]

On October 17, 2018, Baba scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out a career-high 10 assists and tacked on three steals in a 79–74 loss to Link Tochigi Brex.[9] On December 23, Baba had 21 points, three rebounds and five assists in a 69–68 victory against the Yokohama B-Corsairs. He recorded a career-high in playing efficiency rating with 28.[10] On February 1, 2019, he grabbed a career-high nine rebounds versus the Fukuoka Rizing.[11] On March 30, Baba had a career-high six steals in a win against the Akita Northern Happinets.[12] Baba led Tokyo to back-to-back championship titles.[13][14][15] He was eventually named B.League Final MVP, after logging 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals in the final game against the Chiba Jets Funabashi.[16][17] Baba was also named the season's Best Sixth Man.[8][18]

Texas Legends (2019–2020)[]

On September 19, 2019, Baba signed with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[19] On October 12, he was waived by the Mavericks.[20] On October 26, Baba was included in the training camp roster of the Texas Legends, the G League affiliate of the Mavericks.[21] He was later included in the opening night roster of the Legends.[22] In the G League, Baba played in 41 games, averaging 6.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.6 minutes per game.[14][23]

For his efforts of becoming the first Japanese player to make it from the B.League to the NBA, Baba was given the B.League's Break the Border award.[24][25]

Melbourne United (2020–2021)[]

On July 19, 2020, Baba signed with Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).[13] On February 22, 2021 Baba posted an NBL career-high 17 points, four rebounds and three assists in an 88–81 win over the Cairns Taipans.[26][27] Baba helped the United return to the NBL Grand Final, where they faced the defending champions, the Perth Wildcats. In Game 2, Baba scored 15 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out one assist in an 83–74 win, helping the team take a 2–0 series lead.[28][29] In Game 3, he tallied 11 points, two rebounds and an assist, helping the United win the NBL championship title.[30][31] Baba was named Melbourne United Defensive Player of the Year for tallying 31 steals and nine blocks across the season. He was also the recipient of the club’s SHARE Award, an honor that is voted on by the playing group after each game that goes to the player who best upholds the squad’s values.[32]

National team career[]

Baba with the national team in 2019

Baba has played for the Japanese national team. At the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, Baba averaged 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He was also Japan's best free throw shooter with 100 percent free throw percentage.[33] At the 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, he logged an average of 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.[34] Baba was also a member of the national team that competed at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. His tournament highlights included a team-high 18-point and 3-steal outing in a 98–45 loss to USA, outperforming Japanese NBA players Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe who had four and nine points, respectively.[35][36][37] Baba played in all five games, averaging 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals.[38]

Player profile[]

Baba is known for his signature move, a slam dunk dubbed "Baba Boom" by the media and fans.[25][39][40] NBL commentator and former player Corey "Homicide" Williams gave Baba the moniker "Tokyo Drift" for his speed.[40]

Personal life[]

On July 1, 2021, Baba announced on Twitter and Instagram his marriage to fellow Japanese Kanna Mori.[41][42][43][44]

Baba's father, Toshiharu Baba, played for Japan's national team from the 1970s until the 80s.[45][46][47]

Baba attended the School of Health and Physical Education during his time at the University of Tsukuba.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Jiwani, Rory (August 31, 2019). "Yudai Baba aims to follow Rui Hachimura's lead". olympicchannel.com. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  2. ^ "Basketball Teams Claim Victory at All Japan Intercollegiate Basketball Championship". tsukuba.ac.jp. December 14, 2015. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  3. ^ "Men's Basketball Team Claims Victory at All Japan Intercollegiate Basketball Championship for the Third Year in a Row". tsukuba.ac.jp. December 5, 2016. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "University Senior Joins Basketball B-league Team". tsukuba.ac.jp. June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  5. ^ Proballers. "Toyota Alvark vs. Levanga Hokkaido - Nov 17, 2017". Proballers. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  6. ^ Proballers. "Hitachi Sun Rockers vs. Toyota Alvark - Dec 24, 2017". Proballers. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  7. ^ Odeven, Ed (2018-05-26). "Alvark capture B. League title". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "From Tokyo To Texas". www.jrnbaasia.com. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  9. ^ Proballers. "Toyota Alvark vs. Link Tochigi Brex - Oct 17, 2018". Proballers. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  10. ^ Proballers. "Yokohama B-Corsairs vs. Toyota Alvark - Dec 23, 2018". Proballers. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  11. ^ Proballers. "Fukuoka Rizing vs. Toyota Alvark - Feb 1, 2019". Proballers. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  12. ^ Proballers. "Toyota Alvark vs. Akita Northern Happinets - Mar 30, 2019". Proballers. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b "Japanese Star Yudai Baba Signs with Melbourne". NBL.com.au. July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b "The sky is the limit for Yudai Baba says G-League and former Jordan coach". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  15. ^ Odeven, Ed (2020-02-16). "Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe and Yudai Baba reunite during All-Star Weekend". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-05-07. Baba, who helped the Alvark Tokyo capture back-to-back B. League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19, joined the G League’s Texas Legends (affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks) for the current campaign.
  16. ^ "Alvark Tokyo repeat as B.League champions, return to FIBA Asia Champions Cup". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  17. ^ "Mavericks sign Yudai Baba". Mavs.com. September 19, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  18. ^ "Japanese B.League Best 6th Man Recipients - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  19. ^ "Mavericks sign Yudai Baba". Mavs.com. September 19, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  20. ^ "Mavericks waive Yudai Baba". Mavs.com. October 12, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  21. ^ "Legends Draft Two, Announce Training Camp Roster". texas.gleague.nba.com. October 26, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  22. ^ "Legends Announce Opening Night Roster". texas.gleague.nba.com. November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  23. ^ "Yudai Baba". NBA G League Stats. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  24. ^ Nagatsuka, Kaz (2020-05-10). "Former Alvark guard Yudai Baba given special B. League award; Satoru Maeta named top rookie". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b "Rakuten to Power Japanese International Basketball Star Yudai Baba". Rakuten Today. 2021-03-16. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  26. ^ "Yudai Baba and the Road Less Travelled". nbl.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-07. He went on to start 4 games in a row and play 28 minutes per game over that span, setting a new NBL career-high in the process with 17 points – against Cairns – in Melbourne’s Round 6 win.
  27. ^ "Mitch McCarron lifts Melbourne to win over Cairns". www.melbourneutd.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-07. Landale (18 points and 11 rebounds) finished with yet another double-double, while Baba (career-high 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists) and White (9 points and 8 rebounds) played key roles on both ends of the court.
  28. ^ "United too powerful to take 2-0 Grand Final lead". nbl.com.au. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
  29. ^ "NBL GRAND FINAL SERIES GAME 2 BOX SCORE". fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
  30. ^ "United secure NBL21 championship on home court". nbl.com.au. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
  31. ^ "NBL GRAND FINAL SERIES GAME 3 BOX SCORE". fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
  32. ^ "Landale, Baba headline Melbourne United club award winners". www.melbourneutd.com.au. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  33. ^ "Japan at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  34. ^ "Japan at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers 2019". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  35. ^ Nagatsuka, Kaz (2019-09-06). "U.S. crushes Japan in World Cup group game". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-05-09. In the complete defeat, forward Yudai Baba was the lone bright spot for Japan (0-3), finishing with 18 points and three steals in 24 minutes
  36. ^ Shapiro, Michael. "Team USA cruises vs Japan in FIBA WC before Giannis battle". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-05-09. Yudai Baba led the Japanese team with 18 points. NBA rookie Rui Hachimura totaled four points after being drafted by the Wizards with the No. 9 pick in the 2019 NBA draft
  37. ^ "USA Men Bounce Back From Nail-Biter Against Turkey to Rout Japan 98-45". www.usab.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09. Yudai Baba had 18 points for Japan, which is ranked 48th in the world but with an Olympic spot guaranteed as the host of next year’s Olympics. Japan went 0-3 in the World Cup. Rui Hachimura, the 21-year-old who was the ninth overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft out of Gonzaga University by the Washington Wizards, was held to four points. Yuta Watanabe, who played in 15 games for the Memphis Grizzlies last season, had nine points.
  38. ^ "Japan at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  39. ^ Ramirez, Brianna (2020-02-11). "Texas Legends Helping Change NBA's G League". Back Sports Page. Retrieved 2021-05-08. Yudai Baba is a fan favorite in Japan and has quickly become a fan favorite for the Texas Legends giving his dunks a nickname- Baba Boom.
  40. ^ Jump up to: a b Houben, Michael. "Tokyo Drift: Yudai Baba on Melbourne life, the United experience and more". pickandroll.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  41. ^ Yudai Baba 馬場雄大 [@yudai_baba] (July 1, 2021). "宜しくお願い致します。" (Tweet). Retrieved July 1, 2021 – via Twitter.
  42. ^ Yudai Baba / 馬場雄大 [@babaseyo] (July 1, 2021). "日頃から応援して下さるファン、関係者の皆様へ..." Retrieved July 1, 2021 – via Instagram.
  43. ^ "バスケ日本代表・馬場雄大＆森カンナが結婚を発表…森は事務所から独立し芸名も本名に（スポーツ報知）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  44. ^ "森矢カンナ＆バスケ日本代表の馬場雄大選手が結婚 「森カンナ」への改名＆事務所退所も発表". Oricon. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  45. ^ "The heartfelt revelations driving NBL stars to success". SBS.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-08. Toshiharu Baba was a Japanese national player himself, before going on to become his son’s first coach and lifelong inspiration.
  46. ^ Nagatsuka, Kaz (December 2, 2018). "Yudai Baba aims for greatness under father's watch". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  47. ^ "Melbourne United's Yudai Baba keen to reproduce his past heroics in Australia". www.melbourneutd.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-08.

External links[]

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