Rui Hachimura is staying in LA after signing with the Clippers, praising the franchise for its medical support and roster transition. Hachimura noted that the team’s style of play will allow him to showcase his cutting and rebounding skills as he helps build the organization's local culture.
Rui Hachimura stayed in Los Angeles this offseason, but switched the teams as he left the Lakers to sign with the Clippers in free agency.
Japansse forward is excited about the opportunity and talked in superlatives about the franchise:
"I'm just so happy,” Hachimura started in a video published on his own YouTube channel.
"The Clippers are an amazing organization. Even when talking to other NBA players, they always rave about how great the Clippers organization is. It's truly a player-first team, you know. They take care of their players while having that winning mentality."
"The Clippers are a young team. A year ago, they were called the oldest team in the league, but they've transitioned to a younger generation especially with Kawhi Leonard getting traded. Joining them right as they build this next generation is huge for me, and I'm incredibly excited.”
Hachimura noted that staying in Los Angeles was a great thing, and that he missed playing with young rosters:
"Above all, being able to stay in LA is the best outcome for me,” Hachimura added.
“They support their players of course, their families and inner circles from what I hear. Plus they have a brand new arena with advanced physical and medical support and all kinds of useful tools for physical training. I'm really looking forward to all of it," he said.
"My top priority was winning. The roster construction, the team organization, and their style of play altogether, the Clippers felt like they gave me the best opportunity. Plus, like I keep saying, playing with a team of younger players is a first for me since my time with the Wizards. I've always played on roster with veterans, so having this experience is going to be a lot of fun."
“It's a young team and while the roster itself is young, the organization is relatively young here, too. They only moved to L.A. a few decades ago, so I want to help them build and shape that L.A. culture."
In the end, Hachimura also spoke about the role he will have with the Clippers:
"I've spoken with the Clippers coaching staff, and they want me to shoot my three-pointers, of course, but also do more cutting,” Hachimura added in agreement.
“In my final year with the Lakers, I couldn't really make those cuts due to our team's [structure], so the [Clippers] told me they want me to do more of that, which makes me really happy. I also want to focus on rebounding. Grabbing the boards and pushing the pace like I used to back in the day is something I want to keep doing. I think I can contribute in a lot of different ways," he concluded.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.