Yuta Watanabe, a Japanese professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association, was born on October 13, 1994. (NBA) and here is everything you need to know about Yuta Watanabe including his net worth, personal life, and more. Checkout the top 100 richest NBA players of all time.
Yuta Watanabe Facts
| Full Name | Yuta Watanabe |
| Birth Date | October 13, 1994 |
| Birth Place | Yokohama, Japan |
| Nick Name | The Chosen One |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Ethnicity | Asian |
| High School | Jinsei Gakuen, JapanSt. Thomas, Oakdale, Connecticut |
| College | George Washington |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Fathers Name | Hideyuki Watanabe |
| Mothers Name | Kumi Kubota |
| Siblings | Yuki Watanabe (sister) |
| Age | 30 years old |
| Height | 69 (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 98 Kilograms (215 lb) |
| League | NBA |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Body Type | Athletic |
| Profession | NBA Player |
| Professional Career Teams | Memphis GrizzliesToronto Raptors |
| Draft In | 2018/Undrafted |
| Jersey No. | 18 (for Toronto Raptors) |
| Active Years in Basketball | 2018-Present |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Marital Status | Not available |
| Girlfriend | Akiko Kuji |
| Kids | Unknown |
| Net Worth | $5million |
| Position | Small Forward/ Power Forward |
| Social Media | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook |
| Merch | Notebook |
| Last Update | October 2024 |
Yuta Watanabe Salary and Net Worth
Yuta Watanabe, a well-known basketball player, has an estimated net worth of $5 million. His expected salary for 2024 is $1,500,000. Watanabe’s salary increased by 138.86% between 2020 and 21. Furthermore, he was paid $79,568 by the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2019-20 season.
In 2024, he joined Chiba Jets Funabashi and will play for a salary of $5 million.
Yuta Watanabe Career
School
Watanabe went to Jinsei Gakuen High School in Kagawa. He led the basketball team to second place in the All-Japan High School Basketball Tournament in his final two years with the program.
He had 20 points and six rebounds in a 70-61 win over Canarias Basketball Academy of Spain. As a result, he was named to the National Preparatory School Invitational All-Tournament Team and was named to the prestigious New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class AAA First Team All-League.
College
In the fall of 2014, Jamie Cosgrove, a Trinity College coach who had seen Watanabe play for St. Thomas More, contacted Mike Lonergan, the head coach of the George Washington Colonials. Cosgrove had witnessed Watanabe’s performance for St. Thomas More. Watanabe eventually signed with George Washington.
Watanabe finished his first game for George Washington on November 14, 2014, against Grambling State, with eight points, seven rebounds, and a block in 20 minutes, helping the team to its biggest victory since 1999, 92-40. He was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on December 12th after averaging 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in three games to help the team win the 2014 Diamond Head Classic.
Watanabe had a career-high 13 rebounds against Rider on November 20, 2017. He had a career-high five steals against Morgan State on November 29. On February 28, 2018, Watanabe scored 31 points in the Colonials’ 72-56 victory over Fordham.
George Washington also presented him with the Mike Brown MVP Award and the Patricio Garino Defensive Award, both named after former basketball players.
Professional Career
After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, Watanabe took part in the NBA Summer League for the Brooklyn Nets. He subsequently agreed to a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League.
Throughout the season, Watanabe alternated between playing for the Grizzlies and the Hustle. Watanabe and Rui Hachimura of the Washington Wizards made history on December 14, 2019, when they became the first Japanese players to share a court in the NBA.
Watanabe agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Toronto Raptors on November 27, 2020, in order to join their preseason roster. After making the team out of preseason, his contract was changed to a two-way contract on December 19.
Yuta was sidelined for the first 18 games of the 2021-22 season because of a left calf strain. He made a comeback and played 14 minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies on November 24, 2021, recording three points and two blocks.
On August 28, 2022, Watanabe agreed to a free agent contract with the Brooklyn Nets. In 2024, Yuta joined Chiba Jets Funabashi and plays the B.League
Yuta Watanabe Records
- Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year (2018)
- Third-team All-Atlantic 10 (2018)
- 2× Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team (2017, 2018)
Yuta Watanabe Personal Life
Watanabe was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan on October 13, 1994, and grew up in Miki, Kagawa. Watanabe comes from a long line of basketball players. His mother, Kumi, was a member of the Chanson V-Magic and the Japan women’s national team. His father was a Kumagai Gumi Bruins professional baseball player. Yuki Watanabe was a member of the Aisin AW Wings. As a child, Watanabe’s favourite NBA team was the Los Angeles Lakers, and his favourite athlete was Kobe Bryant.
Akiko Kuji, a TV announcer, announced her engagement to Watanabe on May 26, 2022.
FAQs about Yuta Watanabe
| 1.Can Yuta Watanabe speak English? The forward of the Toronto Raptors, Yuta Watanabe, is now fluent in English. However, he struggled with English earlier, but he always spoke the language of basketball well. |
| 2.What is Yuta Watanabes position? The Japanese professional basketball player Yuta Watanabe plays small forward and power forward positions for the Toronto Raptors. |
