Watch: After LeBron James calls him 'Daniel-san', Rui Hachimura and 4 x NBA champ team up during Lakers practice
LeBron James is officially the Mr. Miyagi of the Los Angeles Lakers after he nicknamed Rui Hachimura 'Daniel-san'. Soon after the fun "The Karate Kid" references, both forwards were seen putting in the work after the team's media day. This comes on the back of James calling the latter his "understudy." And now, both the teacher and the pupil are leaving no stone unturned as they gear up for the preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors on October 7.
In a video on Instagram, both Lakers stars were seen drilling shots one after another. James' dodgy ankle that made him a regular fixture in the injury list appeared to look fine, while Hachimura looked comfortable with his shooting.
Hachimura was the first midseason acquisition for the Lakers after they traded Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks. Despite his good start against the San Antonio Spurs where he recorded 12 points and 6 rebounds in the team's 113-104 win, Hachimura struggled over the course of the season but found his bearings in the playoffs.
Ahead of the new season, Hachimura was reported to have regularly hit the gym and trained in tandem with LeBron James over the course of the summer. With a seasoned vet mentoring him, it will be interesting to see the changes the 25-year-old has brought to his game.
How does Rui Hachimura help the LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers?
As a contributor, Rui Hachimura showed his scoring prowess in last season's playoffs. While he perhaps cannot keep up the same level of production (48.7% from the 3-point line across 16 games), his ability to find the openings to get in position for those shots makes him a valuable asset.
In addition, the team lacked wing size and they fixed that issue with the forward last season, this relatively lightens the load on LeBron James and for that matter, on Anthony Davis as well.
While he does have his flaws, Rui Hachimura's athleticism makes up for it as he seamlessly fits into both forward positions. The LA Lakers made a solid signing in the Japanese star this year, and with a full season coming up, Darvin Ham will now have ample options to see how his young forward can make an impact.
For now, he has James' vote of confidence and that will be a massive boost heading into a season where the Lakers look for a title run.