Rui Hachimura Biography: Net Worth, Salary, Family and Career Stats

Rui Hachimura is part of the only two Japanese players who have been able to make an impact in the world of the NBA. He started his quest for establishing an identity in basketball in Japan, where he was a prodigy growing up. However, his potential needed grooming after his high school career, which could only be done through collegiate basketball and NCAA tournaments. So, he made his way through all the hurdles to get admission to US College to play in NCAA tournaments.

Once again, he proved his eligibility as a power forward and got selected in pro-basketball. He was one of the top 10 prospects in the 2019 NBA Draft class and since then he has been consistent with his numbers on the floor no matter the team for which he is playing. It shows the kind of player Rui Hachimura is, and today, we will be exploring his journey and professional achievements in this piece.

Rui Hachimura Early Life

Rui was born on February 8, 1998, to a Beninese father, Zakari Jabil, and a mother, Makiko Hachimura, a lady of Japanese origin in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The 27-year-old had his own troubles growing up since he was born and raised in a nation where Japanese people had an overwhelming impact on culture and society. They were not habitual of seeing a person of mixed lineage with black skin roam around on the streets. But the Los Angeles Lakers player accepted the reality and started focusing on the behavior of his fellows in school who were very nice to him.

At the start, he used to pitch and catch while playing baseball, but his interests changed as he grew up. Before high school, he was already involved in basketball and used to train for hours just to perfect his skills on the hard court. That was the reason why he was called to the Jordan Brand Classic and earned his place as one of the only five players to get a chance to play in the NCAA Division I tournament.

Rui Hachimura Biography

Rui Hachimura Career

Rui Hachimura is the only Japanese player to appear in the NBA First-round draft and actually play in the league. So Rui understands what kind of legacy he carries on the court when is performing. That's why he has never given up on his hopes of performing well in a diverse environment, even when there is a challenge ahead of it. The same happened when he applied for the US Colleges and the basketball community was questioning the cultural barrier that he would face in the States.

But he overcame it and proved the grit that carried him from the smallest unit of the basketball competition to one of the most historical and famous pro basketball leagues in the world.

Rui Hachimura High School Career

After an early love of baseball, Rui decided to follow the sport of basketball before high school. So, he went to the Meisei High School and took his high school team to second title in the All-Japan High School Tournament in December 2013. Rui dished out 32 points in the Finals against the Fukuoka University Ohori during that year. Later on, he claimed the All-Japan title trophy along with his high school team for the second consecutive season.

In the All-Japan competition, he averaged 28.0 points in five games in his first-year of this contest. Later on, he played in the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship, representing the Japanese team, and got the attention of the college and NBA scouts. In that international appearance, he tallied the tournament-best 22.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.

Rui Hachimura College Career

The Gonzaga Univeristy had already signed in 2016 during their signing period, but Rui was questioned about his cultural background. Many bigwigs asked him to enroll in Prep school to know the culture of the US better and get admission to a US college. But Hachimura studied hard and by May 2016 was eligible to enroll in the US for higher education since he met his SAT and GPA after taking the exams. By the 2016 fall, he was in the States to play collegiate basketball and did not redshirt his first year.

Hachimura played for Gonzaga for three seasons, from his freshman year to his Junior year. During his junior stint, he scored 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists to win over NCAA's no.1 Duke team in the Maui Invitational final game. He even won the most valuable player of the competition for his performance. Here are the stats that he has put up in the league so far, according to the University of Gonzaga archives:

Rui Hachimura Professional Career

After declaring for the NBA draft in April 2019, the Washington Wizards picked him up as the ninth overall in the league. Rui had a natural game to perform on an individual level, and that's why he recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds on October 23, 2019. Though his team lost to the Dallas Mavericks in his debut game, he introduced the NBA rivals to his potential on the court. After his rookie season in September 2020, he made it to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

After taking a break in 2021, his numbers dipped a bit, and then he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in January 2023. Since then, Hachimura has been playing alongside LeBron James in the yellow jersey and helped the team in the 2023 NBA postseason. Even last year, on February 14, he tallied 36 points, which was the best performance of his career so far against the Utah Jazz. Here are the stats that he has charted in the NBA so far, as per ESPN archives:

Rui Hachimura Awards and Achievements

Hachimura was a power forward with a knack for the defensive side on the court. However, he is more into scoring than setting up a play and making the boards. Also, his accuracy of getting bucket every time the ball in his hand is exceptional and that's why he received the All-NBA Rookie Second Team honors in September 2019. Apart from that, he won the NBA Cup title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023. But apart from that, he has not been able to grab any league-best award in the NBA yet.

However, he did win the WCC Player of the Year in 2019, along with the Julius Erving Award, due to his team's best performance with Gonzaga Bulldogs in his junior season.

Rui Hachimura Record

Rui has not achieved much in the NBA so far because he is more of a team player. That's why he does not hold any records to his name. The only one existing is that he is the first Japanese-born player selected in the first round of the draft lottery. Apart from that, his records are currently in terms of career totals in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. Yet he is improving his skill on the court, which was evident from his 2023 Western Conference Semi-Finals. The Lakers went to the W. Conference Finals that year.

Rui Hachimura Net Worth and Salary

Rui Hachimura's net worth in the basketball world is expected to be around $12 million in the current season, as per CA Knowledge. No wonder a major part of his net worth comes from the salaries that he receives from the NBA. However, it is the brands that add to the marketability of Rui Hachimura in the outside world. The Jordan brand of Nike endorses Hachimura, which makes the 27-year-old one of the few players in the basketball world to be part of the shoe and apparel brand.

He also signed with Nissin on the evening of his NBA draft night in 2019. Nissin is the leader in Japan when it comes to cup noodles, and Rui was quite happy to join the endorsement team of the major brand from his homeland. Apart from that, he also endorses brands like Casio and SMBC Group.

In terms of salaries, Rui is on a payroll of an average of $17 million per year after signing a 3-year $51 million with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6, 2023. The Lakers front office did not sign Rui immediately in January 2023. He was a restricted free agent, and the team offered him a $7.74 million Qualifying Offer, which he accepted. According to his current contract, he is expected to earn $17 million in the 2024-25 season, according to Spotrac. We have curated a breakdown of Rui Hachimura's salaries in the NBA since his debut in the NBA through the following table.

Rui Hachimura Girlfriend

At this juncture, Rui Hachimura is in a relationship with Briana Delgado, who is a social media influencer and model. However, Rui is not very vocal about his relationship in public but does not forget to share a moment with his girlfriend on Instagram stories. Reportedly, both of them started dating in 2021 when Rui entered the league through the Washington Wizards.

It is worth noting that Rui's girlfriend is 31 years old, while the NBA player is just 27 years old. Briana lives In Los Angeles so there are reports that the couple has been living together after Rui Hachimura joined the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rui Hachimura Parents

Rui Hachimura was born to Zakari Jabil and Makiko Hachimura, and he carries the surname of his mother's lineage. The big stature and the approach that Rui has toward his life come from his parents. Revealing his parent's contribution to his journey and success Rui said to The Mainichi in 2019, “ inherited a privileged body from my father and the diligence to keep making efforts from my mother.”

His father moved from Benin, a West African nation, to Japan to make it better in his life. They watch every game of Rui Hachimura as the NBA player revealed to the Andscape in 2019, stating, “They have the internet and they watch somehow.”

Rui also has two siblings named Amina and Aren in his family. His brother Aren also plays basketball and is currently performing for the Gunma Crane Thunders in the Japanese B. League.

Rui Hachimura Shoes

Rui used to wear the Nike PG2 shoes when he was in college. However, he signed a deal with the Jordan brand. Later on, the brand offered him a Player Exclusive that he started designing with the team in November 2023. He is expected to launch Air Jordan 38 PE shoes but there is no date declared for it. The most recent version of the shoe that is available to buy in the Nike store from Rui Hachimiura's PE collection is Air Jordan XXXV's PE named Cherry Blossom.

Rui Hachimura Jersey

Rui used to wear the number 8 jersey for the Washington Wizards and his national team in Japan. However, since moving to the Los Angeles Lakers, he is wearing the number 28 jersey. The NBA player had an emotional connection with the number 8 jersey since he told SportsNet in 2023, “It was because of Kobe, and also, my name, 'Hachimura,' means 'No. 8' in Japanese. So that's why I wore the No. 8.”

He could not wear the same number in the Lakers squad since it was retired by the team. So he opted to choose 28, which is creative considering that number 2 represents Gianna Bryant and 8 her father Kobe Bryant.