From left, Yuki Kawamura and Zach Edey.

An ode to the NBA’s great new API odd couple

The tallest and shortest players in the NBA both ball for the Memphis Grizzlies, and they're an iconic duo

From left, Yuki Kawamura and Zach Edey.

Photo illustration by Ryan Quan

Words by Quin Scott

Much like animals on Noah’s ark, NBA history can be told in pairs. Magic and Kareem, Stockton and Malone, Jordan and Pippen, Shaq and Kobe—many of the league’s greatest teams have been defined by their two best players. 

But I am not here to discuss these legends, and their ilk, however. I am here to discuss another lineage of iconic NBA duos, perhaps best defined by this image:

This is Manute Bol (1962-2010) and Muggsy Bogues in 1987, teammates on the Washington Bullets (since renamed the Wizards). Both athletes had solid careers and are remembered for their performance on the court. They are also perhaps better known for being extremely tall (Bol was 7 feet, 7 inches tall) and extremely short (Bogues is 5 feet, 3 inches tall). 

It’s universally understood that basketball is a game best played by tall people. So it is extraordinary to see someone who is exceptionally tall, even among other tall athletes. It is perhaps even more extraordinary to see someone who is very short among these tall athletes. To see two such players on the same team is one of life’s simple pleasures—enough for any fan to sit up in the middle of watching a game and point dumbstruck at the screen, a la Leonardo DiCaprio.

Leonardo DiCaprio pointing.

Now take a look at this image:

Amidst the tumult and doom of this moment in history, it brings me great joy to report that we have a new NBA odd couple—and it’s clear that they take after their predecessors, Bol and Bogues. That they are both of Asian descent is an additional treat!

Zach Edey is the very tall man—tied for tallest player currently in the NBA. The 7-foot, 4-inch rookie is the son of a first-generation Chinese Canadian mother. Edey’s been known in American basketball circles for a minute now, after a dominant college basketball career at Purdue University, which culminated in him being named Naismith Player of the Year his senior year. His size, physicality, and skill were simply overwhelming for college players, while his success at the more athletic and dynamic NBA level is a bit less certain. The transition will take time. There will be games where he’ll look slow and overwhelmed, and others where he looks like the Iron Giant, bludgeoning helpless defenders into submission. He may not end up being as dominant professionally as he was in college, but we will likely be watching Edey in the NBA for a long time. 

Yuki Kawamura is the (relatively) very short man, and the shortest player currently in the NBA. The 5-foot, 8-inch rookie is from Japan. As an undrafted player with a less conventional skill set, his NBA career is far more tenuous, and in that way, any moment we get to see him play feels all the more precious. Watching him navigate a basketball court is like watching someone scurry nimbly through the underbrush of a forest. For me, he evokes images from the children’s book series, Redwall. Kawamura uses his agility and guile to bend defenses and get his teammates open, a skill increasingly valuable in an NBA in which fewer point guards act as classic pass-first types. The fans love him, because how could they not?

While Edey is central to the Grizzlies’ present and future plans, Kawamura resides on the fringes of the roster. They may not be on the same team for long, and likely won’t share the court that often while they do. But in this societal dark night of the soul, we have to cherish fleeting, simple pleasures. Sometimes that is witnessing a very tall man alongside a (relatively) very short man, playing basketball.

Published on December 10, 2024

Words by Quin Scott

Quin Scott is a writer, painter, and educator in the Pacific Northwest. They like reading, running, and making jokes with their friends.

Art by Ryan Quan

Ryan Quan is the Social Media Editor for JoySauce. This queer, half-Chinese, half-Filipino writer and graphic designer loves everything related to music, creative nonfiction, and art. Based in Brooklyn, he spends most of his time dancing to hyperpop and accidentally falling asleep on the subway. Follow him on Instagram at @ryanquans.