Japanese professional basketball player Yudai Baba plays for the Texas Legends in the NBA G League. He was a basketball player for the University of Tsukuba in college. Baba has played basketball for Japan’s men’s national team.
Not everything falls right in place abroad as in your native land. With environmental changes come a change in lifestyle and culture; it’s totally a new world.
Some of our sports world superheroes maintain the same level of charm despite the situation. So, with the vibe of it, let’s dive into the young and competent Yudai Baba.
Baba is a few years old professional in the league, and he is quite well at gaining the media’s attention.
Baba is known for his great athleticism and aggressive defensive skills. He is among the top stars in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Zouk Mikael, Lebanon.
Initially, Yudai commenced his gameplay through his native land’s Basketball League and currently features in the NBL. He also was named in the 2021 NBL championship.
Know more about this well-known Japan’s best free-throw shooter in this article, first let’s start with some quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Yudai Baba (馬場 雄大) |
| Date of Birth | November 7, 1995 |
| Birth Place | Toyama, Japan |
| Nick Name | None |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Ethnicity | Asian |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Age | 28 Years Old |
| Height | 6’5″ /1.96 m/196 cm |
| Weight | 198 lb./90 kg/ |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Drak Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Toshiharu Baba |
| Mother’s Name | Name Unknown |
| Siblings | Not Available |
| Education |
|
| Marital Status | Married |
| Girlfriend | Mori Kanna |
| Profession | Basketball Player |
| Position | Shooting Guard |
| Affiliations |
|
| League | NBA G League |
| Active Years | 2017–Present |
| Current NBA Status | Texas Legends |
| Social Media | |
| Net Worth | $1 million- $5 million (Approx.) |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Early Life, Family & Education
Baba (fully named Yudai Baba) was born on November 7, 1995, under Scorpio’s sun sign in Toyama, Japan.
The athlete hasn’t opened up about his family background and his family members to date.
What we all know is Yudai has his father. However, we can say Yudai had a fair, peaceful, and happy childhood day.
Besides that, he used to love reading the Japanese basketball manga Slam Dunk as a kid. Additionally, his early passion for basketball is very crystal clear.
His father, Toshiharu Baba, is also a basketball player and has even stood as a coach during his latter years.
The father and son duo is as pretty as snow to warm your hearts and is probably the first father-son combo to play for Japan.
As a fun fact, his father used to feature in the national team as an industrial league player for Mitsui Life Insurance in the 1970s and ’80s.
Height & Weight
Baba is a strong man standing at a fair height of 1.96 m while weighing 198 lb.
Well, he hasn’t been updated with the bodily measurements. however, he is because, as we look at him, he is an Asian fair face with almond eyes and black hair of similar color eyes.
Education
Baba took his basketball games parallel to his academics. Thus, he was already playing with a local mini-basketball club as an elementary student.
Following it, Yudai completed his junior high and attended the “Toyama Daiichi High School.”
His father used to be the head coach for the Toyama Daiichi boys’ basketball team back then.
Therefore, he played under his father, who had a coach and player relationship.
As per his father, now and then, he was scared that he would be able to bring the best out of his son’s potential as a coach.
Baba shined through his high school while leading the team to the Winter Cup national championships in 2013.
After high school graduation, Baba enrolled in the “University of Tsukuba,” including its men’s basketball team.
During his university days, Baba was awarded the best player award alongside Shusuke Ikuhara for his performance.
To illustrate, he was one of the contributors to help bag the 67th and the 68th All-Japan Intercollegiate Basketball Championship.
He has also led the team to the 2015 intercollegiate national championship.
“It was my father who gave me the reason to start playing basketball, and I’m where I am because of him as well. Going back to my beginnings as a basketball player, he was there. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to see me play in person as much in the future. So every time he does, I would like to show my growth as a player in front of him.”
-Yudai Baba quotes
Professional Career
Alvark Tokyo
After his prolonged tenure with the university, Baba entered the professional arena in 2017. Initially, the athlete played for the Alvark Tokyo of the B. League.
After signing in June, he devoted two whole seasons to the team, and that tenure made him a big story in his homeland.
He is best known for his Final MVP honor in the B. League against the Chiba Jets Funabashi.
As for his first professional season, Baba had double figures 16 times in 40 games, while he had double figures 35 times in 59 games during his second season.
Texas Legends
Before playing for the Texas Legends, he was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks after his impressive play in the summer league.
Thus, Baba first signed into the team on September 19, 2019. Then, he moved on to play for the Texas Legends though his tenure was short, almost one season.
He entered the team through the training camp roster and moved to the Texas Legends’ opening night roster.
Altogether, Baba played 41 games, and the Coronavirus pandemic gave him a short-lived career with the Legends.
He posted his season-high 19 points against the Memphis Hustle and 7 assists against the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Similarly, he had 10 double figures during his tenure with the Legends.
Melbourne United
Afterward, on July 19, 2020, Melbourne United signed Yudai Baba to the team as a Special Restricted Player.
He was also called the local player on the Melbourne United roster who will be playing under the head coach Dean Vickerman.
“I am delighted to have signed with Melbourne United. I know of Melbourne United’s excellent reputation and the record of Coach Vickerman.”
As he commenced his gameplay, he started with the 2020-2021 Australia – NBL regular season.
Currently, his season-high 10 points came against the Adelaide 36ers, where he had played 17 minutes.
2022 Update
Baba returned to Texas On October 22, 2021, as he got signed with the Texas Legends of the NBA League and was reunited with his former team.
On December 23, 2021, he tested covid positive, later On, on March 23, 2022. He returned to Melbourne United for the 2021-2022 NBL season.
In the third stint On November 2022 for Texas legend, he was named to the opening night roster.
Playing Style, Highlights & Achievements
Coming out of Japan, playing in foreign lands hits hard with the change in every aspect of life.
However, Baba has been giving the same performance level ever since, which is aggressive and hard.
As his assistant coach from the former team explained, Baba is a tough defender who keeps going for the play even if it’s foul.
He has been portrayed as a hard nutshell to crack and is well-known for his point-shooting. Having said it, he has never hesitated to throw his shot freely.
“It’s about expressing my lifestyle of basketball. That’s how I have been doing it offensively and defensively. Playing hard is something that I’ve always had on my mind.”
-Yudai Baba quotes
Within his thriving career of 3 years, Baba has maintained to bag the B. league Championship two times in 2018 and 2019.
Apart from it, he also claimed a bronze medal in the 2011 FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship.
The latest news, leaderboard, NBL stats, and more information about Yudai Baba are found on the NBL website.
| YEAR | TEAM | MINS | FG% | FT% | REB | AST | BLK | STL | TO | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2021-2022
|
Melbourne United | 18.95 | 27 | 83 | 1.71 | 0.86 | 0.29 | 0.57 | 1.29 | 3.86 |
|
2020-2021
|
Melbourne United | 20.15 | 46 | 85 | 2.33 | 1.23 | 0.23 | 0.97 | 1.07 | 8 |
NBA Summer League Stats – Totals
| YEAR | TEAM | LOCATION | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2019-20
|
DAL | Las Vegas4 | 4 | 0 | 48.1 | 16 | 6 | 12 | .500 | 1 |
|
2022-23
|
All Teams | _ | 4 | 0 | 43.9 | 11 | 3 | 16 | .188 | 0 |
|
2022-23
|
GOS | San Francisco | 2 | 0 | 20.6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | .200 | 0 |
|
2022-23
|
GOS | Las Vegas | 2 | 0 | 23.3 | 7 | 2 | 11 | .182 | 0 |
| CAREER | 8 | 0 | 92 | 27 | 9 | 28 | .321 | 1 |
Net Worth & Salary
Yudai Baba commenced professionally in 2017 after he went undrafted in the NBA.
Although the player hasn’t disclosed his net worth yet, he is expected to have over $1 million- $5 million as of 2024.
Additionally, his average annual salary is estimated at around $400,000.
Who Is Yudai Baba Wife? Personal Life & Girlfriend
On 2021 July 1, actress Mori Kanna (Moriya Kanna) and basketball player Baba Yudai announced that the couple had tied the knot.
In addition, Mori announced that she would be leaving Sony Music Artists and will be using her real name, ‘Mori Kanna’ from now on.
Mori Kanna explained her decision as she wants to lead a humble life with her husband away from the limelight.
Baba Yudai also expressed joy and gratitude for Mori as she is an impactful woman with love and kindness.
As a matter of fact, the couple’s relationship in 2019, when Mori Kanna was appointed ambassador for the B-League All-Star Game by a tabloid magazine.
Search Graph
The Search line of Yudai is still admirable, which shows us how many people adore him,
Yudai is equally popular as another basketball player in the game, which looks promising, as it directs to his good game stats.
Social Media Presence
Yudai Baba is a Japanese professional basketball player playing for the Texas Legends in the NBA G League.
His popularity is widespread due to his skilled play in the NBA and Japan, as he also played with the Japanese national basketball team.
Yudai is not a limelight person and is only available on Twitter with above 70k followers.
- Twitter – 75.8 K Followers
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What was the college major of Yudai Baba?
Yudai Baba majored in the School of Health and Physical Education at Tsukuba.
What is the jersey number of Yudai Baba?
For both the team, Japan's men's National Basketball and Melbourne United, Yudai Baba was featured in jersey number 18.
What is Yudai Baba's wingspan?
Since he is a tall guy with a height of 1.96 m, his wingspan is estimated to be 2 m which is still considered a plus point for a basketball player.
What is Yudai Baba G league Stats?
Yudai Baba played 41 games in the G League, averaging 6.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steals in 19.6 minutes per game.
