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Japan Watching as Watanabe Chases NBA Dream

Yuta Watanabe is far from a household name in America. In fact, only the most ardent college basketball fans might know the 6-9 guard, who spent four years in relative anonymity playing for a George Washington team that never finished better than fifth in the Atlantic 10.

But in his home country of Japan, Watanabe is a really big deal. How big?

His nickname is "The Chosen One."

When he worked out for the Wizards last month, "a swath of reporters" from Japan were on hand to track his every move.

There were no Japanese reporters present at his pre-draft for the Pacers on Wednesday morning, but make no mistake, they are watching him closely.