By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this month’s edition, we take a look at a Husky Hall of Famer, Kim Ng is passed up once again, and a U.S. basketball team plays in Japan.
Longtime stats guru makes UW Hall of Fame
Craig Heyamoto
Craig Heyamoto is a lifetime Husky, having attained his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Washington (UW). He also spent over 30 years as the chief statistician during Husky football games. Heyamoto’s years of dedicated service has earned him a spot in the Husky Hall of Fame.
Heyamoto received the Don H. Palmer Award, which was established in 1994, which recognizes those who have exemplified a special commitment to the UW Athletic Department. Heyamoto, an attorney at Boeing, has served as the main statistician for Husky Football games since his days in the UW law school in the 1970s. He keeps stats for the Husky basketball teams, the women’s NBA team, the Seattle Storm, and the Sounders soccer club. He’s also kept stats for the Seattle Supersonics and has served as a fill-in at times for national games.
As an undergraduate, Heyamoto developed a business software system focusing on keeping stats for basketball as part of a class project. The project turned into a job, keeping track of stats for the Husky basketball men’s team.
After that, he became the statistician for the football team.
Heyamoto recalls watching the UW play Wisconsin in the 1960 Rose Bowl with his father and he’s been a Husky fan ever since.
The elder Heyamoto played baseball at the UW. Hiromu, a Japanese American, was sent to an internment camp in Idaho during the beginning of World War II. He served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, comprised almost exclusively of Japanese Americans. He served with distinction, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
While his pay for keeping track of tackles, turnovers, and touchdowns is modest, Heyamoto donates it to the school, which goes into an endowment for a scholarship that benefits students. He also pays his own way to attend Husky away games to keep track of stats for radio announcer Bob Rondeau.
Kim Ng passed up yet again
Kim Ng
The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians ended long-time droughts to make it to the World Series.
The same cannot be said for a woman making it into the top of the front office of a Major League Baseball team.
Kim Ng was once again passed up for a position as general manager. This time, she was a finalist for the position with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ng, a long-time baseball executive, has been working with Major League Baseball, but it’s clear that the 47-year-old Chinese American would like to run a baseball club. Ng has interviewed for five Major League Baseball teams to be a general manager, including the Seattle Mariners. Despite 25 years of experience in baseball, team owners have not picked Ng.
She was one of five final candidates for the Diamondbacks organization. The general manager is in charge of team personnel, among other executive decisions for the organization. Ng has had experience as an assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.
Ultimately, Arizona decided to go with another candidate. As a result, Ng will continue to be on a short-list of qualified candidates when another opening occurs.
USA Basketball 3×3 National Team (Photo from fiba.com)
3Ball team earns honors in China
The USA Basketball 3×3 National Team won the silver medal at the 2016 FIBA World Championships in Guangzhou, China. 3×3 Basketball differs from traditional basketball in that it is played with three players per side and is played on a half-court with one basket. The game is meant to be fast-paced and provide fans with non-stop action. The four-man roster is comprised of Americans Stefhon Hannah, Myke Henry, Alfonzo McKinnie, and Kavon Lytch. The team went up against 19 other teams from around the world. They eventually fell to Serbia in the finals.
The 3 on 3 format of play is overseen by FIBA, the international federation that oversees basketball. The game is popular all over the world, including in the Philippines, Indonesia, China, and Japan. It is starting to gain popularity in the United States as well and with support from FIBA, it could grow much more in the United States.
Jason can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.