The intimidating Japanese basketball team ultimately failed to reach the quarterfinals.

In a decisive playoff match last night for the quarterfinal spots, the Japanese basketball team suffered a surprising defeat against Lebanon, who were without Araki. It’s considered an upset because just two days prior, Lebanon was overwhelmed by South Korea.

Lebanon essentially dominated the game from beginning to end, taking the initiative right from the start and frequently opening up offensive waves through counterattacks after steals. By halftime, Japan had committed an astonishing 11 turnovers; out of 15 turnovers in total, 14 were due to opponent steals. They were consistently pressured throughout the match, ultimately losing by 24 points.

Lawson, the foreign player from Xinjiang, wreaked havoc in Japan's interior, scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, effectively suppressing Japan's strongest asset, the naturalized player Hawkinson. Japan's lackluster performance throughout the game mirrored their overall experience in the Asian Cup.

In the group stage, Japan also suffered a shocking reversal against the Iranian team, committing 17 turnovers, even more than last night's total, while also struggling to hit three-pointers. Without Kawamura Yuki, Japan has consistently lacked a stable ball handler.

Before this Asian Cup began, the FIBA official power rankings placed the Japanese team second, only behind Australia, indicating their recognition as the top team in Asia. Lebanon was ranked fifth (with Araki in the lineup), while South Korea was positioned 10th out of 16 teams.

This power ranking now seems questionable, especially since several key players from the Japanese team were absent. Kawamura was signed by the Bulls, and the conflict between Hachimura and coach Hovass has long been public; as long as Hovass is around, Hachimura will not play for Japan. Another familiar name, Watanabe Yuta, has struggled since returning to Japan.

Additionally, the absence of another player, Ishida Makoto, has been quite detrimental to the Japanese team. Although he is older, his skills remain intact, and it’s unclear why he was not included on the roster. If he were present, Japan’s ball handling would at least have been more stable.

The conflict between Hachimura and coach Hovass largely stems from Japanese fans’ disapproval of Hachimura’s skin color. During the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Hachimura was chosen as Japan's flag bearer and faced severe online harassment from Japanese netizens, leaving him disheartened ever since.

Moreover, Hachimura does not regard Hovass highly as a coach. In the 2023 World Cup, Hachimura did not play at all; for the 2024 Olympics, he only rejoined the team at the last moment, missing all warm-up matches and being marginalized by Hovass, relegated to merely being a finishing option, with a tactical role even lower than in the Lakers. After the Olympics, Hachimura openly criticized the Japanese Basketball Association.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the lack of players cannot be an excuse for Japan's failure to reach the quarterfinals. The Japanese basketball team has been overly hyped in recent years, and now that they have fallen from grace, they must also experience the taste of a downturn.

During the 2023 World Cup, leveraging home-court advantage and Kawamura Yuki's stellar performance in crucial matches, Japan surprisingly defeated Finland, led by Markkanen, securing a direct qualification for the Paris Olympics.

In the Paris Olympics, while Japan lost all three matches, they pushed France to overtime in one of those games. A victory over Finland and an overtime battle with France became the highlights of the Japanese basketball team's past two years.

A year later, Japan has not even reached the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup. While the absence of key players is certainly a factor, a more significant issue is the gap in domestic basketball talent. Without Kawamura, they struggle to find a reliable guard; Japan's offense still relies heavily on small guards, making it difficult for Hawkinson to take the lead.

In comparison, our current Asian Cup team also faces severe issues with missing key players. Zhou Qi is absent due to a back injury, and Yang Hansheng is missing due to preparations for the rookie season. Additionally, forwards Zeng Fanbo and Zhang Zhenlin are also sidelined due to injuries. However, our team's spirit and attitude are significantly stronger than that of the Japanese team.

I was initially hoping that the Japanese team could take down New Zealand, allowing us to face them in the semifinals. It seems I overestimated Japan's capabilities; the new generation player, Tominaga Kisei, has not been impressive.

After Japan's loss to Iran in the group stage, Hachimura posted this image on social media. With Japan ultimately missing the quarterfinals, Hachimura is likely already celebrating with champagne.