An exclusive interview with Josh Hawkinson
Hawkinson became a member of the Japanese national team after acquiring Japanese citizenship in this February. I had the opportunity to speak with him in mid-August before the FIBA World Cup.
Q So you made your debut for Japan in the window 6 of World Cup qualifier in February. How did you feel about two games against two games in Takasaki?
JH Iran and Bahrain? I mean, during that camp, it was kind of a limited time to practice, so going into it, I wasn't really sure how I would fit and how I could play well with if I could play well with the other teammates. But I think that I blended in pretty well and found kind of a nice role within the team. And I think just starting to gain, like, my team me to trust and showing that I'm able to go out there and perform and play well and we won those two games, and those are two important games for us because even though we were hosting the World Cup and we had the automatic qualifier to be able to win those two Games to qualify without hosting was important for us as well.
Q So do you remember when Coach Tom Hovasse or JBA's Toyoma Higashino asked you to join the national team?
JH I mean, I had been going through the passport process and the Japan Basketball Association, they were obviously kind of following that I was going to be able to become Japanese. I don't know if it was like really invitation. It was more like once you become Japanese, then we have you join the national team. It wasn't like necessarily two years ago, hey, join the national team, that type of thing. It wasn't really like that. It was more like, we're going to let you focus on doing your thing, getting better and playing basketball, learning Japanese, becoming Japanese. And then when we get to that point, then we would love to have you on the national team that's kind of decided.
Q There were several candidates for naturalized player, but I thought you are the best fit for coach Hovasse's style. Did you feel comfortable immediately after joining?
JH Yeah, I think so, because obviously, Coach Tom's style kind of fits in with my own style. The only thing that I was kind of concerned with is the chemistry aspect with my teammates and having not played with them. But I think it was just really easy to play with them just because of Coach's style is so like free flowing and everyone has confidence, and he gives us confidence to shoot, and everyone else gives each other confidence to play well. So it's really easy to blend in.
Q Could you imagine yourself playing FIBA World Cup wearing Japan jersey?
JH Like. How long ago? If you told me, like, when I was a kid that I'd be playing in the World Cup for Japan, I think it's crazy, probably. But as I've been in Japan and slowly adapted to Japanese culture, learning the language, it started some more and more of reality. And now it's something that I'm very honored to represent Japan and represent the country and hopefully being one of the best basketball players in the country, hopefully showcase to the world how good of a basketball country that we have.
Q So what was the reaction of your parents to the idea of playing for Japan in the World Cup?
JH I think they're really supportive, especially my parents talking with them. They're especially really excited to come and watch the games. They're going to come to Okinawa and hopefully beyond. After that, we're maybe able to move on, but they're just really receptive to that fact. And I think just to represent something other bigger than yourself is a huge honor and they understand that and so they're always 100% behind me. So I'm really appreciative of them for that.
Q So Klay Thompson won the gold medal in the 2014 World Cup. Did you ever have a chance to talk to him?
JH I didn't talk to him about the World Cup. He came around and he was a part of he brought back the championship trophy after he won for Golden State. He brought it back to my college and we got to hang out with him and talk to him a little bit. Playing in the Pac Twelve. There's games in University of Cal, Berkeley and then Stanford. So they're in two areas in the Bay Area schools, so. He came to most of those games whenever we played on the road there. So he came in the locker room and kind of gave us pep talk. I'm not like, close friends with him, but if we see each other, you say, what's up? Type of thing. But yeah, that's kind of the relationship that we had with him.