Jones Cup: Japanese forward Lucas Tanaka, with Brazilian roots, reveals most impressive Taiwanese player

Japanese forward Lucas Tanaka, whose parents hail from Brazil, has expressed his admiration for Taiwanese basketball player Raymond after competing in the 45th William Jones Cup International Basketball Invitational.

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I kicked too badly.

Tanaka, a 22-year-old player with overseas roots, was naturalized as a Japanese citizen in high school. He shared that his father, Gerson Silva Ornelas, a former goalkeeper coach in Japan's J.League, initially steered him toward soccer. However, after being told he "kicked too badly," Tanaka switched to basketball in fifth grade, influenced by his mother, a former player.

His journey to Japanese citizenship involved a unique path: due to residency requirements, he was adopted by a high school senior's family to meet the criteria. He cites former Japanese international player Marcus Tulio Tanaka, who also naturalized after coming from Brazil, as a significant inspiration. Lucas Tanaka even recalled telling the elder Tanaka as a child, "Mr. Tulio Tanaka is the Tanaka of soccer, so I will be the Tanaka of basketball!"

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Mr. Tulio Tanaka is the Tanaka of soccer, so I will be the Tanaka of basketball!

Standing at 194 cm, Tanaka played for Nagasaki Velca in the B.League last season and was selected by Shiga in the second round of the league draft this year. He will continue with Nagasaki on loan next season. During his first appearance at the Jones Cup, Tanaka had limited playing time but scored a team-high 15 points against DB Promy in the final group stage game. He also enjoyed experiencing Taiwanese bubble tea and was particularly impressed by Raymond, a mixed-race player he guarded during the tournament.

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I am very happy to come to Taiwan, and this competition is a very good experience for me.