Best of both worlds: Nakamura experiences hoops in Japan and Australia

Written by Julia Montesano

When Emma Nakamura landed alone on the tarmac in Queensland at 15 years old, she didn’t quite know what to expect.

The Australian school system initially swayed her to live with her grandparents down under, but it was basketball that kept her here.

Now, Nakamura is a legend of basketball in Queensland, having spent one year with the South West Metro Pirates, nine years with the Townsville Flames (both as a player and referee) and is now in her debut season at Cairns in the new NBL1 North competition.

Speaking about the new competition, Nakamura says it’s the potential of the younger players that excites her the most.

“I really like the NBL1 North system because for us and some of the other teams down south, we might not have Opals and WNBL players, but we have the young ones,” she says.

“They get such a great opportunity to be seen, not just within Queensland but by national eyes.

“They can get watched by WNBL scouts and get pushed in the right directions.

“Everyone starts off young and raw but it’s all about where you finish at the end.”

The Dolphins are one of the youngest teams in the NBL1 North Women’s competition, so Nakamura’s leadership is important to the group’s success.

Thankfully, she has also been involved in coaching throughout her years in Queensland’s basketball system and loves passing on advice to young up-and-comers.

“When I got to Townsville, I got convinced to go through the rep coaching pathway there,” Nakamura explains.

“I decided to coach juniors throughout my career, but I never considered coaching a rep pathway.

“It’s been fun coaching the young ones and coaching the next generation.

“It’s great to see what skills they have and what tips I can give them.

“The feedback I often get is that my players are playing with more confidence and aggression.”

Adding another string to her bow, Nakamura has also served as a referee for over a decade, both in Japan and Australia.

In fact, for most of her time in Townsville, she was refereeing rather than playing after initially choosing to go down the officiating pathway instead of the playing one.

It came to her naturally, after being taught to officiate as well as play at school in Japan.

Now after pulling the playing singlet back on, Nakamura says her refereeing career has helped her gain a better understanding of the game.

“It’s helped me understand what to see on the court and why something not’s been called,” she says.

“They’re either not getting the right angle, or I must’ve made contact first with the defence.

“It’s quite interesting because as a referee and a player, you analyse the game, so I’m always thinking about the game.”

When she’s not thinking about the game, her mind is on her parents and her brother, who are all still living in Japan. 

COVID-19 has meant that the 35-year-old hasn’t seen her loved ones since Christmas in 2019 when they travelled back to Australia for one last holiday period together before the global pandemic changed the world.

But thanks to all NBL1 North games being live-streamed, her family can still stay in touch with her on-court progress over in Japan.

“After the first game that we had, my Mum texted me saying how impressed she was with our team and how we played,” Nakamura says.

She has the Japanese basketball system to thank for her physical style of play, having experienced the system at school, university and senior levels.

“Growing up in Japan, I just remember having training every day after school,” Nakamura says.

“I believe that’s built the foundation of my strong work ethic.

“When I went back as an adult, I realised they are quite physical, but I was also taken aback by the speed of the game.

“They focus a lot more on their footwork too.

“They really take us back to the basic skills and remind us what’s important to doing the other big stuff on the court.”