Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura did not play in Friday’s 132-74 preseason loss to the Golden State Warriors because of calf discomfort.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick opted to rest Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, Max Christie, and D’Angelo Russell during the team’s final preseason game. Davis, Reaves, Knecht, Christie, and Russell did play in the Lakers’ preseason overtime win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Redick does not believe Hachimura will miss opening night because of his calf issues. The Lakers will open their season on Tuesday when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Hachimura has been dealing with discomfort in his calf since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. While playing for Team Japan, Hachimura injured his calf during an overtime loss to France. Hachimura did not play again, and has since been working through the discomfort in his calf as the season approaches.
Hachimura did play in the Lakers’ first four preseason games this season, averaging 12.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game for the Lakers.
Though Hachimura has been out of the last two preseason games and limited leading up to the season, Redick had praise for the 26-year-old recently.
“Rui has been great,” Redick said earlier this month. “I think we were still getting acclimated when we had our first preseason game, we had only practiced three times and he was not a full participant in most of September, he was in and out of the gym and he had some family stuff. So he’s been super committed to our classroom and in the mornings and we talked about today, feels like that’s been very helpful. And everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s done, so he’s been awesome.”
Hachimura is entering his seventh NBA season and his third season with the Lakers. He will look to build off the 2023-24 campaign, when he averaged 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
Hachimura first joined the NBA after he was selected with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards. He was named to the 2020 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 13.5 points, 6.1 total rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
