By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this edition, we take a look at the Super Bowl, two rising college basketball players with NBA aspirations, a new player coming to the Seattle Storm via a blockbuster trade, and a Japanese artist’s collaboration with MLB.
Super Bowl representation
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Nikko Remigio (81) warms up before the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)
Last month, the Philadelphia Eagles closed out the NFL season by soundly defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans, Louisiana 40-22 at Super Bowl 59. Notably, the Chiefs were represented by Filipino American kick returner Nikko Remigio, who returned three kicks and one punt for the two-time defending champions. Unfortunately for the rookie, the Chiefs could not complete the three-peat.
Wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, Johnny Wilson, won a Super Bowl ring in his rookie season. The Los Angeles-native played college football at Arizona State and Florida State. Wilson is Filipino American on his mother’s side. He was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round in 2024. Wilson played in 16 games for the Eagles in the regular season and in the Super Bowl. Wilson just had one pass targeted for him, but it was not complete. Still, Wilson is a Super Bowl champion.
Harper and Lee killing in college basketball
College basketball is heating up as the NCAA Tournament will begin in the middle of March. There are two notable players that have been playing well for their respective teams, although they may not be in the tournament. Ironically, both play in schools in New Jersey.
Rutgers guard Dylan Harper (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
Dylan Harper is a freshman guard playing for Rutgers this season. The highly-touted Harper has all the tools to make the jump to the NBA after one year in college. The 19-year-old New Jersey native is the son of former NBA star Ron Harper. Harper’s mother, Maria (Pizarro) Harper, was born in Bataan in the Philippines. She played college basketball at the University of New Orleans and is currently an assistant coach on the boys team of Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. Harper was the consensus number one basketball recruit in the nation in 2024 and chose hometown Rutgers over “blue blood” college basketball programs like Duke, Indiana, and Kansas. Harper decided to go where his big brother attended and stayed in New Jersey. His brother, Ron, Jr., currently plays for the Toronto Raptors.
Harper was named Naismith Player of the Week late last month after an outstanding performance in Seattle against the University of Washington. In the game, he scored 34 points in an overtime victory over the Huskies. It was the third time this season that he scored over 30 points.
With a family pedigree of basketball, Harper is slated in as a first-round draft pick in the NBA.
Xaivian Lee (4) shoots during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in November 2022, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
Xaivian Lee is an Asian American guard playing for the Princeton Tigers. Lee is a 6 ‘4” junior that averages 17 points and 6 rebounds a game.
Born in Toronto, Canada, Lee grew up watching the Toronto Raptors and idolized their point guard, Fred VanVleet. Lee attended three years of high school in Toronto and played his last year at a prep school in Pennsylvania in order to play more competitive high school basketball. He stood out for his AAU team and had an outstanding high school career. The father of one of Lee’s AAU teammates referred him to coaches at Princeton who had a chance to watch him and wanted him to play for the Tigers.
Lee had a chance to train with Jeremy Lin this past summer in preparation for his junior year at Princeton. Lin, a former Harvard grad, shared the court with fellow Ivy Leaguer Lee in scrimmages on the basketball court.
Lee is South Korean and has dual citizenship in Canada and the United States.
6’7” center, Li Yueru, traded to the Storm
Los Angeles Sparks center Li Yueru, left, shoots during the first half of a WNBA basketball game on Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
In a blockbuster three-team trade in the WNBA, the Seattle Storm traded shooting guard Jewel Lloyd to the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces sent former University of Washington basketball standout Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Storm received the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Sparks and 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru. In her second year in the WNBA, the 25-year-old Chinese center hopes to become a mainstay in Seattle after hopping around for several years. Yueru’s professional basketball career started in China, where she played for the Guangdong Dolphins as a teenager and then moved onto a team in Inner Mongolia. She then was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in the third round of the WNBA draft in 2019. However, she continued to play in China. Her WNBA rights were traded multiple times before landing with the Sparks last year.
In addition to playing in the WNBA, she also plays in Turkey in the offseason.
Yueru plays for the women’s Chinese national team. She played for China in multiple Asian Games, the FIBA World Cup, and at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Takashi Murakami brings his iconic art to MLB
Takashi Murakami, the renowned Japanese artist, has teamed up with Major League Baseball for a special merchandise collection celebrating next month’s Tokyo Series. The Takashi Murakami x MLB Tokyo Series collection launches on March 7 ahead of the Dodgers and Cubs season opener at Tokyo Dome on March 18-19. Murakami, famous for his vibrant, flower-themed art, expressed excitement over the collaboration, highlighting the deep cultural ties between Japan and the U.S., and praising MLB star Shohei Ohtani for his global impact.
In this image provided by Complex, a model wears items from The Takashi Murakami x MLB Tokyo Series collection that launches on March 7 in advance of the series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs that opens the MLB baseball season at the Tokyo Dome on March 18-19. (Complex via AP)
The collection features apparel like Nike T-shirts, hoodies, and jerseys adorned with Murakami’s iconic flowers. Jerseys will be available for select players, including Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman for the Dodgers, and Shota Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki, and Dansby Swanson for the Cubs. The collection also includes Murakami-designed New Era caps, Rawlings baseball gear, and Victus bats. For collectors, a special Topps X Murakami card set featuring artwork and autographs from Murakami and Ohtani will be available. The full collection drops on March 7 through Complex, Fanatics, and MLBShop, with select items sold at MLB stadiums and immersive pop-up events in Los Angeles and Tokyo.
Jason can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.