The next is a visitor publish by Raptors Information Japan.
Japanese basketball is at a big turning level. After being chosen by the Washington Wizards within the 2019 NBA Draft, Rui Hachimura has solidified himself as a starter, whereas Yuta Watanabe, who started his profession with the Memphis Grizzlies, has an NBA contract with the Toronto Raptors.
The Olympics in Tokyo got here at a big time for basketball in Japan. The postponement of the Olympics for a yr because of the pandemic led to super development for Watanabe and the nationwide staff, and so they put up good performances towards the world’s high groups. Though the staff didn’t win any video games ultimately, there have been some thrilling moments for long-time Japanese basketball followers, corresponding to defeating France earlier than the Olympics.
Earlier than the video games, Watanabe appeared in lots of interviews on Japanese TV information applications and fashionable TV exhibits. Now that his fame and the recognition of basketball have elevated, his success and the basketball neighborhood’s strikes within the subsequent few years will likely be important for growing Japanese basketball tradition.
A rising tide lifts all boats. And the success of basketball in Japan may be a necessary second for Watanabe’s staff, the Raptors.
How influential is Watanabe?
I ought to introduce myself a bit of bit. I’ve carried out some work translating articles right here at Raptors Republic. I additionally run a Twitter account named “Raptors Information Japan” that gives details about the Raptors in Japanese. I began this account in January 2020, and initially, it had solely about 400 followers. On the time, it was a small account that was solely adopted by Japanese Raptors followers.
That every one modified with the arrival of Watanabe. As his function with the Raptors grew, my followers grew as properly, and it’s about to succeed in 5K. I gained the lottery out of 30 NBA groups, just like the Raptors on this yr’s draft. His contract will totally assured on opening day if he makes the roster once more. That’s virtually my assure date as properly. My expertise is anecdotal proof to indicate the affect of Watanabe in Japan.
His Twitter account has about 180K followers, greater than Fred VanVleet or Pascal Siakam. Goran Dragic, one other star participant from his personal nation, is adopted by about 370K folks. In just a few weeks, Watanabe might be the Raptors’ most adopted participant.
The explanation for his reputation just isn’t solely the rarity of being one in every of solely two Japanese gamers within the NBA but additionally due to the Japanese temperament. The “otaku” tradition, the place there are a lot of individuals who love varied subcultures in Japan, signifies the Japanese tendency to immerse oneself in a single factor and observe it with ardour. The variety of followers conversant in the NBA just isn’t as giant as different sports activities, however I might guess that their ardour is unusual.
Within the standings of participant jersey and staff items gross sales in Japan that the NBA introduced this March, Watanabe and the Raptors have been ranked first. In fact, it’s onerous to stroll down the streets of Japan and discover somebody sporting such objects. Nonetheless, many individuals would have been sporting his Raptors jersey to cheer for the Japanese nationwide staff on the Olympics. In actual fact, Yuta’s mom, who was visiting the sector, was a kind of who wore the Metropolis Version jersey.
His affect is already obvious in these financial elements.
Sooner or later, along with the earnings from the sale of those pre-existing items, it could possibly be very efficient in the event that they have been developed particularly for the Japanese market. Items utilizing kanji characters and Japanese-style designs could be of curiosity to Japanese and different followers. These wouldn’t simply be sources of income for the Raptors but additionally necessary emotional connections between the franchise and worldwide followers, thus constructing a basis for future fandom, gamers, scouting, tournaments, or every other variety of elevated types of collaboration.
The necessity to globalize the fanbase
The Raptors mustn’t solely think about these momentary financial results but additionally intention to broaden their international fanbase. The important thing to creating this useful for the Raptors over the long run is to show Watanabe followers in Japan into sustainable Raptors followers.
In a survey, I did on Twitter this February, 39 p.c of the Raptors followers who participated stated they grew to become followers after Watanabe arrived. Nonetheless, a few of them answered that they’d by no means heard of even Siakam or VanVleet.
I wouldn’t say that they aren’t Raptors followers. However some Japanese followers change the staff they’re rooting for yearly primarily based on the motion of the Japanese gamers of whom they’re bigger followers. Someday, after Watanabe leaves the Raptors, it’s unlikely that many Japanese followers will nonetheless name themselves Raptors followers.
As a foundation for contemplating methods to broaden the Raptors’ fanbase in Japan, I want to emphasize that I imagine the Raptors are an important group that pulls Japanese folks.
The traits and historical past of the staff could be to Japanese choice. The specialness of being the one franchise in Canada and the story of non-lottery-picked gamers succeeding in an efficient improvement program will captivate anybody. The constant efficiency of the staff lately can be a cause to root for them. (Now, I’m speaking in regards to the Toronto Raptors, not the Tampa Raptors.)
The dearth of historical past can be appropriate for brand spanking new followers. We don’t have to return in historical past to an period the place there have been no steal or block stats, and we are able to simply witness a brand new franchise report second like VanVleet’s 54 factors, as a result of we don’t have Wilt Chamberlain. Each necessary second in Raptors’ historical past has been captured on movie, which isn’t true of each franchise.
Toronto could also be an unfavorable location for American free company signings, however it will haven’t any such connotation for Japanese followers or gamers. In different phrases, to ensure that the franchise to extend its reputation in Japan, it’s important to actively promote the franchise’s attraction past particular person gamers and ignite the “otaku” nature of Japanese followers.
Data dissemination in Japanese
The easiest way to advertise these points of interest of the Raptors to the Japanese followers could be in Japanese.
For a number of years now, Lakers followers and Warriors followers have been the dominant NBA followers in Japan. The large distinction in reputation between these two and the remainder, together with the Raptors, in all probability comes from language variations. There’s very restricted details about the NBA in Japanese. So it’s easy to get details about the highest stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry, but it surely’s tough for followers who perceive little English to seek out details about different groups and stoke any nascent fandom.
Luckily, at present we have now instruments to unfold data abroad rapidly, corresponding to Twitter and different SNS.
A notable precedent is the Washington Wizards. They launched a Twitter account in Japanese in September 2019, shortly after buying Hachimura as the primary Japanese participant to be drafted within the first spherical. It has a variety of content material for Japanese folks, together with podcasts and video, and it’s now adopted by practically 70K folks.
If the Raptors create a Japanese Twitter account, it’s not sufficient to only translate pre-existing data into Japanese. It might want to make it extra Japan-friendly because the Wizards do. I really like the video of Freddie Gillespie discussing the variety of holes within the straw with three rookies, but it surely’s in all probability not for followers who solely know Watanabe. New content material made particularly for Japanese followers could be impactful.
Nonetheless, it might not be essential to supply solely new content material. It will be good to look again on the historic championship run, Vinsanity, and so forth., or hint the origin of the staff’s identify again to Steven Spielberg’s childhood. Native followers would know these tales, however they’d be new for a lot of Japanese followers, and so they’d go among the means changing Watanabe followers into Raptors followers.
The Raptors must strike whereas the iron is scorching. It’s onerous to think about that Watanabe will likely be one of many core members for years to return. His contract is just partially assured for the time being, and there’s all the time the chance that he may go away the staff, whilst early as this season.
If the group desires to extend the recognition of their staff in addition to Watanabe, they will’t go up this chance. As the one franchise outdoors the US, and positioned in a world metropolis, the Raptors are already a pacesetter within the globalization of the NBA. Add on Masai Ujiri’s emphasis on African basketball and the Giants of Africa camp, and the Raptors have footholds in lots of markets. However they will all the time do extra. And the fantastic thing about increasing their curiosity in Japan is that it will add income and create life-long followers in a rustic seeing a basketball increase for the time being. With Watanabe on the roster, the Raptors face a win-win alternative. They should take benefit.
Tip RR
The Raptors can do extra to attraction to their Japanese fanbase. Right here’s how. originated on Raptors Republic.
