Throughout the preseason and early in the new NBA campaign, Grizzlies’ rookie point guard Yuki Kawamura has been making waves around the league. 

After losing Derrick Rose to retirement just weeks before the preseason, Memphis needed point guard depth. Enter Kawamura.

The Grizzlies signed the Japanese native to an Exhibit 10 deal, and he’s quickly become a fan favorite since the start of the season. 

Despite being on a two-way contract, Kawamura has had no trouble leaving an impression on Grizzlies fans so far. Here’s everything you need to know about Kawamura, Memphis’ newest phenom. 

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Who is Yuki Kawamura?

Born in Yamaguchi, Japan, Kawamura grew up playing basketball.

The 23-year-old point guard started gaining attention when he joined Japan’s professional basketball league while still in high school.

Throughout the years, Kawamura has won multiple All-Japanese High School championships, made the Best Five Team, and was named Rookie of the Year in the B.League. Most recently, has represented Japan on their national team. 

The breakout star signed with the Grizzlies in September, and his training camp deal was converted into a two-way contract in October. Under his current contract, he will play a maximum of 50 games with the Grizzlies and then spend the rest of his season with the G-League Memphis Hustle. 

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How tall is Yuki Kawamura?

Standing at 5-foot-8, Kawamura is officially the shortest active player in the NBA. 

In fact, he is the only active NBA player officially listed under six feet. Currently, he’s tied for the 11th-shortest player in league history. 

Despite having a height disadvantage, the point guard still plays a big game and has fun doing it, which has gained him accolades with the Memphis fan base. 

Yuki Kawamura career timeline

The 23-year-old point guard started his professional career in high school, becoming the youngest player ever to join Japan’s B.League at just 18.

While playing with the San-en NeoPhoenix, Kawamura also led his high school team to back-to-back All-Japanese High School championships. He then moved to the Yokohama B-Corsairs, where he won Rookie of the Year and made the Best Five team. 

Kawamura joined the Japanese National Team in 2022 and played at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics. In Japan’s narrow loss to France this summer, Kawamura became the third player in Olympic history to have more than 25-plus points, five-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists in a single game.