Sports

Yuta Watanabe to Play for B.League's Chiba Jets in 2024-25 Season

After six seasons in the NBA, Yuta Watanabe brings his experience to the title-chasing Jets. He says he's "super excited" to start playing in Japan.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 12, 2024

Ed Odeven

Former Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe shoots a 3-pointer against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 17, 2022. (GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO)

Read the full story on SportsLook - Yuta Watanabe to Play for B.League's Chiba Jets in 2024-25 Season

As expected, Yuta Watanabe has finalized a contract with the B.League's Chiba Jets for the 2024-25 season.

For the past several weeks, media outlets reported that a deal was imminent.

The Jets posted a news release on their website on Thursday, July 11 stating that the former NBA player and the team had "reached a basic agreement" on a contract for the upcoming season.

On Thursday evening, Watanabe, 29, announced that he is officially joining the Jets, who have been a title contender since the B.League's inception in 2016.

"Excited to announce that I have signed with Chiba Jets," Watanabe wrote on his Instagram account. "I'm super excited to start a new professional career back in Japan."

Watanabe joins a Jets squad featuring perennial All-Star point guard Yuki Togashi, talented big man John Mooney and an influx of new players.

Chiba moves into a new home arena this season, playing its opener at LaLa Arena Tokyo-Bay on October 5 against the Utsunomiya Brex.

Yuta Watanabe: From Kagawa Prefecture to the NBA

Watanabe went to Kagawa Prefecture's Jinsei Gakuen High School and then spent one year at St Thomas More School in Connecticut, graduating in 2014. He attended George Washington University (2014-18) before embarking on a professional career with stints in the NBA and the NBA G League. A versatile 206-cm (6-foot-9) forward, Watanabe has played multiple positions throughout his pro career.

In the NBA, Watanabe suited up for the Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns.

Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.