Basketball: Hachimura, Watanabe candidates for Japan’s World Cup team

NBA players Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe are among 25 candidates who will compete for the final 12 spots on Japan’s roster for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Japan Basketball Association said Monday.

During the Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 World Cup, to be co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, head coach Tom Hovasse’s team aims to be the highest Asian finisher to earn a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Yuki Togashi and Yuki Kawamura, who play in Japan’s B-League, were also named to the list, along with shooting guard Akira Jacobs, who, at 19, is the youngest candidate and set to ent...