Toga! Toga! Toga!
What might sound like a chant at your average toga party has become a cheer for one of the NBA Summer League’s hottest up-and-coming players, reports Yahoo Sports.
At 5-foot-7, 20-year-old Yuki Togashi, or “Toga,” has been setting off those cheers each time he scores a point for the Dallas Mavericks. Standing a full foot shorter than the average height in the NBA, Togashi was invited to play for the Mavericks in Las Vegas for the Summer League out of Japan’s BJ League. Last season, he earned a place on Japan’s equivalent of the All-NBA First Team after his success with the Akita Northern Happinets.
Prior to that, Togashi attended Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md. but wasn’t able to secure a spot in any Division I basketball programs.
But things have turned around for Togashi. On Wednesday, Togashi scored 11 points in 12 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets, landing him a new legion of fans and hopes for a spot on an NBA roster.
Togashi’s upstart success has even earned him favorable comparison to another Asian basketball star — Jeremy Lin.
You can read more about the “TogaSanity” at Yahoo Sports.
