Rui Hachimura of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 27, 2025. (NBAE/Getty/Kyodo)

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan national basketball team star Rui Hachimura will head into the NBA playoffs for the fourth time in his career Saturday as an integral member of a Los Angeles Lakers outfit with championship aspirations.

The power forward has been to the postseason twice since the January 2023 trade that sent him from the Washington Wizards to a Lakers franchise in win-now mode under the leadership of aging superstar LeBron James.

The Lakers advanced to the past two playoffs via the play-in tournament but will go into this year’s first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves with home court advantage after finishing a rollercoaster regular season third in the Western Conference.

“This is the best championship opportunity of my career,” Hachimura said. “We have a chance this year.”

Los Angeles staked its fortunes on the blockbuster midseason trade that brought them All-NBA guard Luka Doncic in return for former linchpin Anthony Davis and other pieces.

While the franchise was looking to build for the future, the move quickly yielded results on the court as Doncic meshed with his new teammates.

Another important development has been the improved defense of Hachimura, who needed to step up on that side of the ball following the departure of multiple All-Defensive selection Davis.

Hachimura himself had been the subject of trade rumors before the February trade deadline but had tried to shut out the noise and focus on the court.

“When you’re with the Lakers, those kinds of rumors always come up,” he said.

But he was stunned to learn about the Feb. 1 trade for Doncic, hearing of it first from a fan while out eating after a road game, followed by a flood of message on his phone. Unsure about the reports, Hachimura quickly sought to verify the information.

“I didn’t know what was going on. I contacted my agent to see if I was still on the team,” he said.

The Lakers and first-year coach JJ Redick kept Hachimura in their plans as a regular starter in his NBA sixth season, and the 27-year-old went on to log career highs of 31.7 minutes per game and 102 three-point makes.

Hachimura experienced the Western Conference finals two years ago, but no Japanese player has so far reached the NBA finals, which is something he aims to change.

“We all have the same goal and will play with the championship in mind,” he said.