Amid declining US ratings, 5-foot-8 Grizzlies guard is boosting NBA viewership in Asia

Ratings are down this season for 29 NBA teams, but that's not the case for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Despite being a small-market team, Ja Morant has turned the Grizzlies into must-watch television, and his teammates Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have also done their part.

However, it's been Yuki Kawamura, the 5-foot-8 point guard out of Japan, who has stolen all the headlines.

According to a report by The Commercial Appeal's Damichael Cole on Thursday, Kawamura has made the Grizzlies the most popular team in Japan this season, dethroning the Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers.

“There is significant momentum for the NBA and basketball more broadly in Japan, and homegrown players like Yuki drive increased interest from new and existing fans across the country," NBA Japan general manager Kazu Watanabe said.

"As that interest continues to grow, we are ensuring that fans in Japan have wall-to-wall access to games, programming and localized content featuring Yuki, the Memphis Grizzlies and all 30 NBA teams on the devices and platforms they use most."

Kawamura has barely played this season. He is averaging 1.0 points and 0.6 assists per game and has most seen action in garbage time. However, he is already a valuable member of the organization.

"I mean, he’s just got that personality," Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. "It is a global game, the way that fans view all levels of basketball, let alone just the NBA globally. It’s cool to see how our fans have received him, how road teams' fans have received him. It’s pretty cool to watch.”

The Grizzlies signed Kawamura to an exhibit-10 contract before offering him a two-way deal. Jenkins is a big fan of his game.

"The way he plays fits our style," Jenkins said. "You see that globally, internationally. Just the team concept: five guys playing together, very interchangeable, constant motion. That’s what gravitated to us when we evaluated him."

Scotty Pippen Jr. reacts to Grizzlies' tough loss to Clippers

On Monday, the Memphis Grizzlies suffered a tough, physical 114-110 loss to another gritty and defensive-minded team, the LA Clippers.

Even though the loss was disappointing, Scotty Pippen Jr. thinks it could've been a blessing in disguise.

"You kind of want to run into these games early, so you can build that late-game chemistry and late-game rhythm," Pippen Jr. said after the game, via The Commercial Appeal. "We haven't had too many close games like that. Whenever we're able to win those I feel like we feel a lot better, but definitely a lot of learning experiences throughout these games."

The Grizzlies are 20-10 and third in the Western Conference. With a relatively healthy lineup this season, they'll pose a tough matchup in the playoffs even against the title favorites.