Lakers Rui Hachimura gets a startling off-court income! Agreed to stay on at $51 million for 3 years; market value must soar!

Last Updated on 07/04/2023 by てんしょく飯

Rui Hachimura (25), a restricted free agent from the NBA Lakers, has agreed to stay with the Lakers.

　According to multiple U.S. media reports, he has agreed to stay with the Lakers for three years and $51 million (approximately 7.4 billion yen).

The annualized salary conversion is about $17 million (about 2.46 billion yen), which is 2.7 times higher than last season’s (2022-23) $6.26 million.

After moving from the Wizards in January of this year, he averaged 11.2 points per game in the regular season and 12.2 points per game in 16 playoff games. His offensive and defensive performances helped the team advance to the Western Conference finals.

In his hometown of Los Angeles, there are already expectations that he is one of the “Big Three” along with LeBron James, the King, and Anthony Davis, one of the NBA’s leading centers.

The Lakers are one of the most prestigious teams in the NBA and are as popular on the West Coast as the Warriors (California). The Lakers are one of the most prestigious teams in the NBA and are as popular on the West Coast as the Warriors (California).

Hachimura made headlines in 2019 when he joined the Wizards as the first Japanese first-round draft pick and signed sponsorship deals with eight companies, including food and watch manufacturers, as well as “Jordan Brand. According to U.S. media at the time, he earned over $7 million in sponsorship revenue, including commercial fees, and was the 2019 rookie player to beat out the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, a first-round overall pick, by a country mile.

The Lakers have had no small amount of national television coverage, not only in their hometown of Los Angeles, but also in the Christmas games that have been set up between the previous year’s winning team and other popular teams. If, as expected, they are part of a unit with LeBron and Davis, they may attract even more attention, and a number of companies may come forward to sponsor them.

Although not as big as the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, whose sponsorship income reached the highest level in MLB history at approximately $35 million, Hachimura is likely to be enriched by off-court income in the coming season and beyond.