Chikara Tanaka
Chikara Tanaka (born 4 May 2002) is a Japanese basketball player who attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 May 2002 Aomori Prefecture, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Listed height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Career information | |
| High school | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| Position | Point guard |
Early life and career
Tanaka was born in Aomori Prefecture to an American father and a Japanese mother. He briefly lived in Hawaii as a child and was raised in Yokohama, Japan.[1] Tanaka grew up skateboarding but was encouraged by his friends to play basketball due to his height.[2] Tanaka attended Sakamoto Junior High School in Yokosuka and played for the youth team of the Yokohama B-Corsairs. In 2017, he led his team to second place at the B.League Under-15 Championship.[3] In 2018, Tanaka began attending IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, joining one of the best high school teams in the United States.[1][4] In February 2019, he participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina.[5]
National team career
In January 2018, Tanaka led the Japanese under-16 team to the title of the Crystal Bohemia Cup in the Czech Republic, earning tournament most valuable player honors.[1] Later that year, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for Japan at the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship.[2] Tanaka was invited to training camp with the Japanese senior national team for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification stage.[6]
References
- Nagatsuka, Kaz (8 June 2018). "Teenage star Chikara Tanaka to attend IMG Academy in bid to gain college hoop scholarship". The Japan Times. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- "Chikara Tanaka has best friend to thank for path from skateboarder to hopeful Olympic debut". FIBA. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- Nagatsuka, Kaz (8 February 2018). "Teen phenom Chikara Tanaka looking to make mark with national team". The Japan Times. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- Arruda, Joe (19 January 2020). "An international superstar: IMG's Chikara Tanaka". The Springfield Student. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- Givony, Jonathan (12 February 2019). "International prospects to show skills during All-Star Weekend". ESPN. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- "Tanaka takes humbling senior team experience to be U16 leader". FIBA. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2020.