It was a long three months for Yuki Kawamura.
The 5-7 fan favorite was not on the shelf with a blood-clot issue in his leg and didn’t even know if he would get his basketball career back anytime soon.
So being back on the court and being made active Thursday for the first time this season when the Bulls hosted the Heat meant the world to him.
“Rehab wasn’t easy,” Kawamura said. “It was a long way. I found out I had a blood clot before the season started and I felt real bad because I was so super excited to play. I’m super happy to be here and to be back on the court.”
As a rookie for the Grizzlies last season, Kawamura played in 22 games and was beloved by the Memphis fan base for his hustle on the defensive end and his flashy passing style. The Bulls added him to the roster in the offseason on a two-way contract, and he was a one-man highlight throughout Summer League play with Matas Buzelis even calling him his “favorite teammate.”
He played in two preseason games and brought the fan base to their feet, but the blood clot was discovered before the regular season began and Kawamura was shut down.
“I didn’t play basketball for three months,” he said. “I couldn’t play [in] contact, so I kept lifting, working out, individual workouts, but no contact. I just started playing [with contact] like two weeks ago, so I’m getting used to it.”
Next up for the guard will be getting in an NBA game and again trying to show why he belongs.
“I’m confident I can play in the NBA,” he added. “I want to bring the energy from the bench, pick up full court, no-look pass, like that. This is my job.”
Not Josh-ing
The plan was for Josh Giddey to play in the back-to-back against Indiana and Miami, and then make a decision on this weekend when the Bulls play two more games in Miami. Plans changed.
Giddey’s left hamstring issue crept up on him during the Pacers game, so the team opted to hold him out Thursday and see what happens next.
“Because of the past injury they want to make sure they can clear the tightness up because they worry about it going from one thing to the next,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I don’t know when he’ll return. There was no strain or a setback, anything like that. It’s just a matter of how long it will take them to remove the tightness where he could just play without it.”
Running wild
Coby White’s conditioning has been an issue most of the year because of his calf issue that cost him the end of the offseason and into the regular season, but Donovan has seen progress in that department lately.
“I felt like when we were in Brooklyn [on Jan. 16] in that second half, he got [his rhythm] back, and there are a few other games where I felt like he’s gotten his rhythm back,” Donovan said. “I feel better about his conditioning now than I did several weeks ago. Do I feel like he’s all the way back? No, but he’s much better off.”
White has averaged 30.8 minutes over his last 10 games, scoring 19.7 points in that time.
