Nuggets Sign Yuta Tabuse

[MavsFanFinley]

Nuggets sign Japanese star G Tabuse

September 26, 2003

DENVER (Ticker) - The Denver Nuggets on Friday signed 22-year-old Japanase guard Yuta Tabuse, who spent two seasons at Division II BYU-Hawaii from 2000-02.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The 5-9, 165-pound Tabuse earned Rookie of the Year honors in Japan last last season while playing for Toyota Alvark of the JBL Super League.

"Yuta is an exciting young player," Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. "He can really play at a fast pace and knows how to get the ball into the hands of the right people."

Tabuse appeared in six games for the Dallas Mavericks at the Rocky Mountain Revue over the summer, averaging 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists.

He played for the Japanese national team at the 1999 junior world championship and the 2001 FIBA world championship for young men.

[Malachi Mav]

They just signed him so Boykins will have somebody to post up during camp...........

[ocelot_ark]

This guy sucks...marketing ploy at best.

[Simon2]

This is Kiki generating publicity by signing a foreigner from Asia. He learned that from Cuban.

[EricaLubarsky]

The mavs had a really good shot at picking him up if they had wanted him. With the screw-ball contracts of the summer leagues, Tabuse was nearly as obligated to the Mavs as a 2nd round draft pick. So Dallas rejects him and Denver picks him up
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the guy is never going to be a starter, but he can add some depth to the roster. He's definitely a sharp shooter at times from the three and although his assists arent very sharp, he can run an offense fairly well. I don't think we will ever hear "MVP" chants for him, but he may be a publicity marvel like Boykins.

[MavKikiNYC]

Isn't marketing (or raising the Nugs' international exposure) a legitimate enough reason for a player filling up the 12th through the 15th spots?