Already a star in Japan, point guard Yuta Tabuse got one step closer to being the first Japanese-born player to play in the NBA after being signed by the Suns in September 2004... His impressive showings in two summer leagues for the Suns (4.2 ppg, 2.1 apg) came on the heels of a stint with the ABA Champion Long Beach Jam where he averaged 5.3 points and led the team in assists with 6.3... In 2003, Tabuse attended the Denver Nuggets training camp before being waived prior to the start of the season.

Name pronounced You-TA Ta-BOO-say

Parents Naoto and Setsuko live in Yokohoma, Japan

His tryout with the Nuggets was documented on NBA TV's "Real Training Camp."

Played with the Japanese National Team at the 2001 World Championship for Young Men

Spent two seasons at Division II Brigham Young-Hawaii

Began playing basketball at the age of 8 years old

Favorite basketball players as a child included Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas

Click here to check out a Yuta Tabuse photo gallery