Rui Hachimura has only been in the NBA for five seasons but in that short period of time, he has had the fortune of playing with some of the best players in the game. Hachimura was recently asked to name his all-time starting five from all his teammates in the NBA and there were a lot of stars on it.
PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: LeBron James
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Anthony Davis
I think of all these starting fives that I have seen over the years, this is probably the only one where I can't argue against any of the selections. Hachimura came up with the perfect five.
Russell Westbrook was the pick at point guard and he was a teammate of Hachimura on the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers . While Westbrook's stock isn't all that high at the moment, he is an MVP, a two-time scoring champion, and a three-time assists leader. He also made the NBA's 75th Anniversary team.
Hachimura chose his former Wizards teammate Bradley Beal to be Westbrook's backcourt partner. Beal hasn't had quite as decorated a career as Westbrook, but he is a three-time All-Star who averaged over 30 points per game in two separate seasons.
LeBron James came in at small forward and there isn't much that needs to be said here. James has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, a scoring title, and an assists title. The Lakers superstar is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and is widely regarded as a top-two player in league history.
Kristaps Porzingis got the nod at power forward, and he played with Hachimura on the Wizards. Porzingis is a one-time All-Star who recently won a championship with the Boston Celtics. You could maybe make an argument for Kyle Kuzma to get in over him, but I think the Latvian is the better player.
Anthony Davis was the center in this lineup and like LeBron, was a no-brainer of a pick. Davis has won a title and is a nine-time All-Star. He made the 75th Anniversary team as well and is one of the premier big men in the NBA.
Hachimura has thrived playing alongside Davis and James on the Lakers, but he might be facing off against them soon. The 26-year-old has been included in Japan's roster for the 2024 Olympics and if he leads them to the knockouts, then a clash with Team USA could be on the cards.
Related: Japan Roster For 2024 Olympic Games: Rui Hachimura Leads The Akatsuki
Rui Hachimura Is Reportedly Available For Trade
Hachimura was traded to the Lakers in 2023 by the Wizards and has proven to be a fine role player for them. In the 2023-24 season, he averaged 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game.
Despite his good play, though, the Lakers are reportedly willing to trade Hachimura. That was a bit of a surprise, but the Japanese forward is one of the few non-stars on that roster to have real value on the market.
Hachimura has played well and is on a decent contract too, as the Lakers gave him a three-year, $51 million deal in 2023. Those factors mean that if they do pull off any sort of significant trade, then he would most likely be one of the players they would have to part with.
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