Japanese Rock Duo Yuzu to Perform at NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten

Tokyo, June 3, 2022 – Rakuten Group, Inc. and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that Japanese rock duo Yuzu will perform at NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten at Saitama Super Arena on Saturday, October 1 at 5 p.m.

The fan event will be held in conjunction with the NBA Japan Games Presented by Rakuten, which features the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards playing two preseason games on Friday, September 30 and Sunday, October 2 at Saitama Super Arena, marking the league’s 15^th and 16^th games in the country. Tickets to the NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten are available via Rakuten Ticket, Rakuten Group’s ticket service, and fans can visit this dedicated website for an overview of the ticket packages^*1.

Yuzu, who are celebrating their 25^th anniversary as a band, will join select players from the Warriors and Wizards, NBA legends, celebrities and other special guests who will participate in NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten, which will celebrate the game of basketball and showcase the convergence of the NBA and popular culture for a unique fan experience. Event highlights will include a slam dunk contest featuring professional dunkers, a Shooting Stars challenge, a three-point contest featuring NBA players, and more.

For details about NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten, fans can visit the dedicated website^*1 and purchase tickets to the event here. Further details about the event will be announced at a later date.

Date: Saturday, October 1 starting at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Saitama Super Arena (8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan)
Ticket price: Starting at 2,000 yen (tax included).
Ticket site^*1:             
https://ticket.rakuten.co.jp/features/nbajapan2022/index.html/

Dates: Friday, September 30 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 2 at 2 p.m.
Location: Saitama Super Arena (8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan)
Website^*1:             
https://nba.rakuten.co.jp/special/nbajapangames2022.html

Between 1990 and 2003, the NBA staged 12 regular-season games in Japan in Saitama City, Tokyo and Yokohama. The matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz in Tokyo on November 2, 1990 marked the first regular-season game played outside of North America by a U.S. sports league. The NBA last played games in Japan in 2019, when Rakuten and the NBA partnered to bring the Houston Rockets and the 2019 NBA Champion Toronto Raptors to the country for two preseason games.

The six-time NBA champion Warriors, who are currently making their 12^th NBA Finals appearance and seeking their seventh NBA championship, feature two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, five-time NBA All-Star Klay Thompson, and 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and four-time NBA All-Star Draymond Green. Fans in Japan can watch the Finals on NBA Rakuten.

The Wizards currently feature three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal, 2018 NBA All-Star Kristaps Porziņģis and 2020 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Rui Hachimura, who in 2019 became the first Japanese player in league history to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. The Warriors and Wizards will both be making their first visits to Japan. 

*1 Site only available in Japanese.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.