This small feature appears in The Japan Times.

After an NBA Board of Governors meeting earlier this week, commissioner Adam Silver addressed the media, and that gathering in New York included an assessment of the rise in Japanese players during the ongoing NBA Summer League.

The commissioner also commented on the positive impact that having the Croatia and China national teams at the Summer League in Las Vegas can have for the sport.

“Could you speak about how this could be a great stepping-stone for aspiring players in Asia as well as for the league and the global expansion of the NBA?” a reporter asked on Tuesday.

“We’re very encouraged that — sort of in part in my response to the last question about that fact that we have two national teams here, and there are a lot of international players who are now using this as a platform to, in essence, try out for our teams,” Silver told reporters. “The fact that we have four Japanese players here, we have numerous international players representing probably well over 20 countries here, is really impactful for the league.”

Full story: Summer League players help boost NBA abroad | The Japan Times

Note: The Japanese players at the Summer League: Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe, Yudai Baba and Makoto Hiejima.