INDIANAPOLIS — Johnny Carpenter has seen what this looks like up close.
He’s seen the vision, the no-look, behind-the-back passes, the dazzling handle and the tenacious on-the-ball defense. He’s seen the way a 5-foot-7 point guard who also happens to be a national hero in his homeland can engage and embolden a team of much larger men and electrify arenas.
“I got to experience Yukimania,” Carpenter, Pacers assistant coach and head coach of their NBA Summer League team, said after practice Tuesday.
Indeed, Carpenter was an assistant coach on the Memphis Grizzlies staff in the 2024-25 season when Pacers Summer League point guard Yuki Kawamura played his first season in the United States after displaying his magic on the international stage in the 2024 Olympics in Paris with Japan. The Japanese went 0-3 in group play but they took Victor Wembanyama and eventual silver medalist France to overtime and Kawamura was a big reason why. In those three games he averaged 20.3 points and 7.7 assists per game and he posted 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists against France in a game when the opposing superstar was nearly 2 feet taller than him.
Less than a month after the Olympics ended, Kawamura signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Grizzlies. During training camp, they converted it to a two-way deal. He played just 93 NBA minutes as a rookie, but fans still pleaded for him to get on the floor because he was so productive when he was there, averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 assists per 36 minutes. Meanwhile in the G League with the Memphis Hustle, he averaged 12.7 points and 8.4 highlight-reel level assists per game.
“He’s so quick – his mind and his body,” Carpenter said. “His quickness, right? He’s thinking so many passes ahead. He’s moving, cutting steps ahead of the defense. This (points at his head) is one of his greatest gifts.”
Kawamura spent last season on a two-way deal with the Bulls and got more of an NBA opportunity and more of an opportunity overall. He appeared in fewer NBA games – 18 compared to 22 in 2024-25 – but he averaged 11.6 minutes per game in Chicago compared to 4.2 per game in Memphis. His 3.4 points and 2.6 assists per game in Chicago equated to 10.7 points and 8.1 assists per 36 minutes and he averaged 18.7 points and 10.8 assists per game in 11 appearances with the Windy City Bulls in the G League.
He joins the Pacers this summer with a future that isn’t necessarily clear from the outside. The Pacers have one standard contract open, but with $207 million in salary already committed including a two-year, $17 million deal for forward Kelly Oubre Jr. that will use the non-taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception, they are just about $2 million short of the $209-million first luxury tax apron at which they will be hard-capped. They might not have enough space to add another player. The three players they had using two-way contracts last season – Taelon Peter, Ethan Thompson and Jalen Slawson – could reach return. Rookie point guard Braden Smith is also expected to take a two-way deal, so one of those four will already have to be let go. At the moment, there might not be any room for Kawamura anywhere but the Noblesville Boom in the G League.
Still, Kawamura seems unbothered by that and heads into Summer League simply hoping to play his best ball.
“It’s a blessing to be here,” Kawamura said, speaking fluently but vaguely in a language that is not his native tongue. “… I’m still learning from everything, every moment. I’m still learning how I can impact winning. It’s going to be a cool experience for me.”
What he does know is, for however long he gets to operate in the Pacers’ organization, he gets to play a style of play that can optimize his talents. The Pacers want to kick the ball ahead, play in a constant state of transition, utilize ball movement, player movement and randomized action. That allows Kawamura to play in an open floor and that’s a place where he’s very dangerous.
“I like the system,” Kawamura said. I like playing fast. I feel like it fits me. Everybody gets the rebound, everybody pushes the ball, gets into the runs. I feel like it fits me, yeah.”
Carpenter feeI like it fits him as well and he can already see how Kawamura keeping the ball moving engages others.
“It’s a rare ability to just adapt and seamlessly just enhance the collective IQ, his individual IQ and the collective IQ,” Carpenter said. “He’s able to raise the entire collective IQ and be a connector. Guys start moving because he’s moving. Guys start passing because he’s moving the ball and making the ball unselfish. The ball has energy. The more people that touch it, we get the collective mindset. We play continuously and we play with joy.”
The summer Pacers have not one but two point guards who play with a similar level of creativity and intellect. Purdue’s Smith is not quite as undersized but he’s close at 5-10. However he’s also a brilliant passer, the all-time assists leader in NCAA’s Division I. Kawamura has been immediately impressed.
“He’s a pure point guard,” Kawamura said. “He’s the best. I’m still learning from him but he was the best point guard when he was in college. He’s younger than me but I’m learning from him.”
And they’re challenging each other, Carpenter said, and raising the level of intensity and pace in practice.
“When they go head-to-head it’s awesome to see,” Carpenter said. “They both keep each other in front. They’re probably not used to that. They’re used to probably going by most guys. Now they need to really work their handles and they gotta work their defense. And it was fun seeing them on the court together. That was one of the fastest. The ball was just up the court. The other team scores and then the next thing you know the ball is just in the net. I love the kick-aheads and the sprint up the court.”
And their teammates for this event enjoy playing with both of them.
“You gotta keep your hands ready,” said forward Gabe McGlothan, who spent last season with the Noblesville Boom. “You never know when they’re going to throw the pass. They’re not even looking at you but they know you’re there. So just keep your hands ready. The speed that they play with, the leadership that they both bring is really impressive. They have a lot of heart. That’s the biggest thing and that’s what I’m so excited for.”
Whether Kawamura’s relationship with the Pacers continues beyond the next two weeks or not, the heart and the vision will elements of his game he’ll be looking to show off so he can take Yukimania to its next destination.
“I’m still learning from every moment,” Kawamura said. “I just want to prove myself. I just want to prove size doesn’t matter.”
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Tantalizing guard joining Indiana Pacers Summer League roster to prove ‘size doesn’t matter’
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