Rui Hachimura, a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, was recently interviewed about how he became a basketball player. He admitted, "I didn't want to play basketball at all."

The player who now plays steadily for the Los Angeles Lakers and plays alongside LeBron James had no intention of embarking on a basketball career. His name "Rui" comes from the baseball term "base", and his parents thought Hachimura would become a baseball player. He did play baseball for many years, but he could never find his true passion.

Later, Hachimura tried karate, football, and track and field, but gave up one after another due to injuries or technical problems. It was not until junior high school that a persistent classmate waited in front of Hachimura's seat every morning just to invite him to try basketball training. Hachimura said: "I really can't stand it anymore, so I said I will go once, and then you don't bother me anymore."

Hachimura didn't even have sneakers that day, so he wore the shoes his coach lent him. "I didn't understand the rules at all, I just ran around on the court, but I liked the feeling. The teammates, the coach, and the atmosphere made me feel very comfortable," Hachimura said.

A casual training session started Hachimura's basketball career. He went home and asked his mother if he could play basketball. His mother responded immediately: "Sure, I'll buy you a pair of shoes."

Hachimura has become one of the representatives of Japanese basketball. He has appeared on the cover of NBA 2K and has also performed brilliantly in the Los Angeles Lakers playoffs. Hachimura is always grateful to that junior high school classmate: "If he hadn't kept pushing me, I wouldn't be here today."