Zion Wiliamson and Ja Morant are the most mesmerizing names in the NBA’s newest rookie class. But when it comes to landing endorsement deals, Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura may be the Greatest Of All Time among first-year professional basketball players. The Japanese-born Gonzaga University product recently added GOAT, a secondary market for rare sneakers and general release shoes, to his growing list of partnerships.

Rui, whose father is from the African nation of Benin and mother is from Japan, joins Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma as GOAT’s second NBA ambassador. Like Kuz, Rui will be paid not in cash, but rather in hard-to-find product. Since Rui has a deal with Nike’s Jordan Brand, GOAT will supply him with limited edition Air Jordan sneakers.

The 22-year-old Toyama native became the first Japanese-born player to be selected in the first round when the Wizards took him with the No. 9 pick in the 2019 draft. That, along with his starring role on Japan’s national basketball team at the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, has made him a hot commodity on the marketing side. So far, Rui’s representatives at Wasserman Media Group, Jason Ranne and Darren Matsubara, have secured partnerships for him with a number of Japanese companies, including SoftBank, Nissin Foods, NEC, G-Shock and SMBC.

The Wizards, too, have done their part to capitalize on Rui’s popularity overseas. The team has signed its own sponsorship deal with NEC, and has established its own Japanese media operation, including a Japanese-language in-house reporter and localized versions of its website and Twitter account.

Josh Martin is the Editorial Director of CloseUp360. He previously covered the NBA for Bleacher Report and USA Today Sports Media Group, and has written for Yahoo! Sports and Complex. He is also the co-host of the Hollywood Hoops podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.