Very few Asian players can land in the NBA, and most of the players who can land in the NBA are internal players, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Haddadi and so on. Because physical fitness, speed and other aspects can not be compared with European and American players, which makes it difficult for Asian defenders to land in the NBA. It wasn't until 2004 that the NBA's first Asian defender appeared on the stage, and he was Yuta Takumi from Japan!
Tian Woyongtai is only 1 meter 75 tall, but the technology is very good, breakthrough technology, passing vision, ball sense, shooting ability are very prominent, which is why the Sun chose to sign him. Before joining the Suns in 2004, Tian Wo Yongtai also tried to land in the NBA, but they were unsuccessful. In 2003, he represented the Mavericks in the summer league and signed with the Nuggets the same year, but was cut before the regular season began. Yuta Tian did not give up her NBA dream, choosing to join aba's Long Island Jam Team, and finally signed with the Suns in September 2004 and became a member of the team's new season.
However, Yuta Tian's NBA career was not smooth, and after playing 4 games, he was cut by the Suns. He averaged 4.3 minutes per game and had 1.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists. In his debut, against the Hawks, he scored seven points in 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the Suns had too many point guards at that time, and the core nash of the team was in excellent form. Despite being cut by the Suns, Yuta Tian became the first Asian defender to appear in the NBA regular season, and he himself is very grateful for the opportunity given by the Suns. In the 2005 offseason, Heonta signed with the Clippers, but on the eve of the start of the new season, he was cut again. It was then that the NBA's doors were officially closed to the Japanese defender.
Although Tian Wo Yongtai failed to gain a foothold in the NBA, his courage to challenge is still worthy of recognition. Because before landing in the NBA, he was already invincible in Japan and was known as "Japanese Jordan". There is no doubt that at that time, Tian Wo Yongtai was the first point guard in Asia, and his speed, breakthrough, passing, and shooting were all the top in Asia, and the only thing he lacked was his ability to fight. Although his years in the NBA were short, it was a great learning opportunity for Yuta Tian, who received Nash's guidance at the time.