Chikara Tanaka
| No. 2 – Yokohama B-Corsairs | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | B.League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 4 May 2002 Aomori, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Listed height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Listed weight | 88 kg (194 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Bethel (2022-2023) |
| Career history | |
| 2023-present | Yokohama B-Corsairs |
Chikara Tanaka (田中力, たなか ちから, Tanaka Chikara, born 4 May 2002) is a Japanese basketball player for Yokohama B-Corsairs. He previously attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Early life and career
[edit]Tanaka was born in Aomori Prefecture to an American father and a Japanese mother. He briefly lived in Hawaiʻi as a child and was raised in Yokohama, Japan.[1] Tanaka grew up skateboarding but was encouraged by his friends to play basketball due to his height.[2]
High school career
[edit]Tanaka attended Sakamoto Junior High School in Yokosuka and played for the youth team of the Yokohama B-Corsairs. In 2017, he led his team to second place at the B.League Under-15 Championship.[3]
In 2018, Tanaka began attending IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, joining one of the best high school teams in the United States.[1][4]
In February 2019, he participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina.[5]
In 2020, Tanaka left IMG due to mental health issues off court and transferred to Kahuku High School in Kahuku, Hawaiʻi. After the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he traveled to Utah where he attended the All-Academic Basketball camp and received an offer from the University of Utah. However, Tanaka lost his roster spot due to the extension given by the NCAA Division I Council to all players for the pandemic-altered season.[6]
In 2021, he transferred to Veritas National Prep School in Santa Fe Springs, California,[6][7] where he continued his post-graduate.[8]
National team career
[edit]In January 2018, Tanaka led the Japanese under-16 team to the title of the Crystal Bohemia Cup in the Czech Republic, earning tournament most valuable player honors.[1] Later that year, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for Japan at the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship.[2] Tanaka was invited to training camp with the Japanese senior national team for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification stage.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Nagatsuka, Kaz (8 June 2018). "Teenage star Chikara Tanaka to attend IMG Academy in bid to gain college hoop scholarship". The Japan Times. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Chikara Tanaka has best friend to thank for path from skateboarder to hopeful Olympic debut". FIBA. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ Nagatsuka, Kaz (8 February 2018). "Teen phenom Chikara Tanaka looking to make mark with national team". The Japan Times. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ Arruda, Joe (19 January 2020). "An international superstar: IMG's Chikara Tanaka". The Springfield Student. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ Givony, Jonathan (12 February 2019). "International prospects to show skills during All-Star Weekend". ESPN. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ a b "FEATURE: Teen hooper taking the hard road from Japan to the top". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ Veritas Titans [@veritasbasketball] (January 29, 2021). "Welcome 2021 6'2 190 Chikara Tanaka to the Veritas Family! LETS GOOOOO..." Retrieved September 30, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ Tanaka, Chikara [@chikaratanaka_] (October 12, 2021). "Focus on yo process ❤️". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Tanaka takes humbling senior team experience to be U16 leader". FIBA. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
External links
[edit]- Chikara Tanaka at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship at fiba.basketball