{{short description|American-Japanese basketball player}} {{redirect|J. R. Henderson|the Scottish biologist|John Robertson Henderson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox basketball biography |name = J. R. Sakuragi |image = 桜木JR.JPG |image_size = 250px |caption = Sakuragi with the Aisin Seahorses in 2016 |position = Supervising coach |height_ft = 6 |height_in = 8 |weight_lb = 226 |league = B.League |team = Toyama Grouses |nationality = American / Japanese |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|10|30}} |birth_place = Bakersfield, California, U.S. |highschool = East Bakersfield {{nowrap|(East Bakersfield, California)}} |college = UCLA (1994–1998) |draft_year = 1998 |draft_round = 2 |draft_pick = 56 |draft_team = Vancouver Grizzlies |career_start = 1998 |career_end = 2023 | career_number = 52 | career_position = Power forward / center | years1 = 1998–1999 | team1 = Quad City Thunder | years2 = {{nbay|1998|end}} | team2 = Vancouver Grizzlies | years3 = 1999–2001 | team3 = Las Vegas Silver Bandits | years4 = 2001 | team4 = Paris Basket Racing | years5 = 2001 | team5 = Marinos de Oriente | years6 = 2001–2005 | team6 = Aisin Seahorses | years7 = 2005 | team7 = Marinos de Anzoátegui | years8 = 2006 | team8 = Grises de Humacao | years9 = 2006–2007 | team9 = Aisin Seahorses | years10 = 2007 | team10 = Grises de Humacao | years11 = 2007–2020 | team11 = Aisin Seahorses | years12 = 2023 | team12 = Koshigaya Alphas | cyears1 = 2020–2021 | cteam1 = Aisin AW Wings | cyears2 = 2021–2023 | cteam2 = Koshigaya Alphas | cyears3 = 2023–present | cteam3 = Toyama Grouses | highlights = *3× JBL MVP (2011-2013) *JBL Finals MVP (2013) *B.League Lifetime Achievement Award (2021) *NCAA champion (1995) *2× First-team All-Pac-10 (1996, 1998) | medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition|FIBA Asia Challenge}} {{MedalSilver | 2012 Tokyo|Team}} }} {{nihongo|'''J. R. Sakuragi'''|桜木 ジェイアール|Sakuragi Jei Āru|born '''Milton J. Henderson Jr.'''; October 30, 1976|lead=yes}} is an American-Japanese professional basketball player.
==Biography== Raised in Bakersfield, California,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crowe |first=Jerry |date=2008-01-21 |title=Former Bruin is now Japan's J.R. Sakuragi |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jan-21-sp-crowe21-story.html |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-11 |title=SeaHorses veteran J.R. Sakuragi announces retirement {{!}} The Japan Times |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/06/03/basketball/b-league/seahorses-veteran-j-r-sakuragi-announces-retirement/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611174949/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/06/03/basketball/b-league/seahorses-veteran-j-r-sakuragi-announces-retirement/ |archive-date=June 11, 2020 }}</ref> Sakuragi played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and was a member of the Bruins' national championship team in 1994–95. He was able to play all five positions.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bolch|first1=Ben|last2=Maddy|first2=Eric|title=Where are they now? A look at UCLA's 1995 NCAA men's basketball championship team|date=March 21, 2020|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2020-03-21/where-are-they-now-ucla-1995-ncaa-mens-basketball-title-team|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> On the NCAA championship team in his freshman year, Sakuragi was named the team's most valuable freshman along with Toby Bailey.<ref>{{cite web|last=Finney |first=Ryan |title=2010–11 UCLA Men's Basketball Media Guide |page=111 |year=2010 |publisher=UCLA Athletic Department |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ucla/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/1011MBB_MG_History.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708213026/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ucla/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/1011MBB_MG_History.pdf |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |ref=finney2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was named to the All-Pac-10 first team during his sophomore and senior seasons,<ref>Finney 2010, p. 105.</ref> and was also named the Bruins' co-most valuable player both years as well.<ref>Finney 2010, p. 110.</ref> He averaged 14.2 points per game in his four-year career at the school. He was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 2nd round (56th pick) of the 1998 NBA draft where he played one season.<ref name=JT>Kaz Nagatsuka, [https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2007/07/17/basketball/former-ucla-player-gets-japanese-citizenship-spot-on-national-hoops-team/ Former UCLA player gets Japanese citizenship, spot on national hoops team], ''The Japan Times'', July 17, 2007.</ref>
Sakuragi played the next two years for teams in Las Vegas and France and summer-league teams in Puerto Rico and the Philippines.<ref name=name/> In 2001, he moved to Japan to play for the Aisin Seahorses of the JBL Super League, averaging 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in 2006.<ref name="JT"/>
Sakuragi's application to become a naturalized Japanese citizen cleared on July 2, 2007, and he changed his name from J. R. Henderson to J. R. Sakuragi.<ref name="JT"/><ref>Jerry Crowe, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jul-24-sp-crowe24-story.html Former Bruin a true citizen of the world], ''Los Angeles Times'', July 24, 2007.</ref> He chose his new name for two reasons: firstly, he thought a Japanese name would speed up the naturalization, and secondly for the Japanese sakura cherry blossoms. It also corresponded to the name of Hanamichi Sakuragi, the protagonist of the popular basketball manga ''Slam Dunk''.<ref name=name>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jan-21-sp-crowe21-story.html Former Bruin is now Japan’s J.R. Sakuragi], ''Los Angeles Times'', January 21, 2008.</ref>
Sakuragi played for the Japan national team as they competed in the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, a qualifier for the 2008 Summer Olympics.<ref>Jerry Crowe, [http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-crowe24jul24,1,3614788.story Former Bruin finds security in his adopted homeland], ''Los Angeles Times'', July 24, 2007.</ref>
To comply with Japanese naturalization requirements, Sakuragi taught himself to read, speak and write Japanese at a "rudimentary level". He intended to stay in Japan without intention of returning to live in the U.S.<ref name=name/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline}} *[http://www.asia-basket.com/player.asp?Cntry=PUR&PlayerID=5064 J. R. Sakuragi Basketball Player Profile, stats, biography, career] at Asia-Basket.com *{{Basketballstats|nba_historical=jr_henderson|bbr=h/hendejr01}} *[https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/06/03/basketball/b-league/seahorses-veteran-j-r-sakuragi-announces-retirement/ "SeaHorses veteran J.R. Sakuragi announces retirement"]
{{1995 UCLA Bruins men's basketball navbox}} {{1998 NBA draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakuragi, J. R.}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate basketball people in Canada Category:American expatriate basketball people in France Category:American expatriate basketball people in Japan Category:American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines Category:American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Bakersfield, California Category:Caciques de Humacao players Category:East Bakersfield High School alumni Category:Japanese men's basketball players Category:Japanese people of African-American descent Category:Koshigaya Alphas players Category:Las Vegas Silver Bandits players Category:Marinos B.B.C. players Category:Naturalised basketball players Category:Naturalized citizens of Japan Category:Paris Racing Basket players Category:Philippine Basketball Association imports Category:Power forwards Category:Quad City Thunder players Category:SeaHorses Mikawa players Category:TNT Tropang 5G players Category:UCLA Bruins men's basketball players Category:Vancouver Grizzlies draft picks Category:Vancouver Grizzlies players