by Jason Cruz
Northwest Asia Weekly
Welcome to the year-end edition of The Layup Drill. In this issue, we take a look at the top 10 Asian American athletes of 2021.
This year, we’ve seen some return to normal as fans return to stadiums.
Despite the lack of live audiences, the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed for a year, are still being held. Despite objections to the event taking place, organizers were able to complete it with little interruption. In February, the Beijing Olympics will take place and will need to deal with the same COVID-19 issues, with variations that have spread across the globe. In addition, there are political implications as the United States intends to conduct a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics. There is also the issue of former women’s tennis player Peng Shuai who disappeared after accusing a former government official of sexual misconduct and then resurfaced under government control.
The Seattle Mariners are having a surprising season with a few games into the playoffs. The Mariners were helped by starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, who made his first All-Star Game this summer. For most of the season, it was Shohei Ohtani. The Los Angeles Angels pitcher, who won the American League MVP, hit astronomical numbers and performed well as a pitcher. Ohtani is one of the few players who can both pitch and bat in a major.
This year, Manny Pacquiao’s boxing career may be coming to an end. His last fight ended in a loss to Yordenis Ugas. He is now running for president of the Philippines.
Also, the big local news was the appearance of the Seattle Krakens, the 32nd National Hockey League team. The new team competes at the Climate Commitment Arena (formerly KeyArena). Notably, Kraken is committed to engaging the community in hockey by hiring former professional hockey player and Bellevue native David Min as part of the youth development team.
Samantha Tan is the Asian-Canadian driver owner of Samantha Tan Racing, who is making her mark in the enduro sport. The 24-year-old has been successful in GT4 endurance racing. She started competing in regionals in the United States at the age of 16. She is driving a BMW now. With her old racing team disbanded, Tran formed her own team out of necessity. Her goal is to become the first Asian woman to win Le Mans.
Finally, in December, Notre Dame hired head coach Marcus Freeman, and former coach Brian Kelly left Louisiana to work. The 35-year-old Freeman served as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He previously played linebacker at Ohio State before being drafted into the NFL by the Chicago Bears. He is the son of a Black Air Force veteran father and a Korean immigrant mother. Freeman acknowledged his mother during an introductory news conference at Notre Dame.
“I got my selflessness and other focus from my mother,” he said, his parents sitting in the front row.
10. Justine Wong-Orantes
The Torrance, California native helped the U.S. team win the women’s volleyball gold medal. Wong-Orantes’ mother is of Chinese Filipino descent. Despite being only 5-foot-6, she is known as one of the best female return experts in volleyball.
Wong-Orantes wasn’t widely recruited to play college volleyball because of her size, and was offered to play at the University of Nebraska after she was seen playing in a tournament. Her Nebraska game earned her a spot on the U.S. national team.
The 26-year-old plays professionally in Germany.
9. Nonito Donnell
Even though Manny Pacquiao has retired, Donnell, 39, is continuing. The Father of Time seems to have forgotten about Donnell, as he won the WBC bantamweight title last May. He also successfully defended the title of fellow Filipino Reymart Gaballo in December last year.
8. William Wang
The senior Bellevue High School running back led the Wolverines to a triple-A state championship, rushing for 243 yards and two touchdowns in the championship game. Not only did he score on the field, but he was a star in the classroom, with a 4.0 GPA, 1560 SAT, and perfect ACT. In addition, he plays the viola, an instrument he has played since the fifth grade.
7. Gu Yonghe
The Atlanta Falcons kicker has found a home. Last season, Koo scored his first Pro Bowl. As a result, he signed a contract extension with the Falcons.
5 & 6. Jaylen Green/Jordan Clarkson
Green made history last summer as the most drafted Asian-American player in the league and the third Filipino-American athlete to enter the NBA. Green, 19, whose mother is Filipino, was drafted in the first round by the Houston Rockets.
Clarkson, who played for the Utah Jazz, had a breakthrough season in 2021 and was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, an honor for the best reserve player who came off the bench. Green and Clarkson played in Houston this season, and the Rockets hosted a Filipino Heritage Night because it was the first time two Filipino-Americans played in the same game at the same time.
4. Kyler Murray
The Arizona Cardinals quarterback has led the team to the No. 1 spot in the NFC West so far.
3. Naomi Osaka
Osaka has taken a stand over the past year, taking time out to focus on her mental health.
The world’s highest-paid female athlete has rekindled the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony in Tokyo despite criticism for quitting the French Open and withdrawing from Wimbledon. Osaka seemed ready to return to the Japanese team, but she suffered a crushing defeat in the opening round of the Olympic tennis tournament. While her time on the court wasn’t easy, she was an example of the need to focus on mental health, which made others pause and reflect on their own challenges.
2. Colin Morikawa
The 24-year-old has had a big year and nearly lost his chance to become the world’s top golfer. Still, Morikawa won the British Open in 2nd place and finished 4th in the US Open. He also finished tied for third at the Olympics (but missed the bronze medal after a seven-man play-off). Morkikawa was part of the U.S. team that won the 2021 Ryder Club. Going into 2022, Morikawa’s situation is improving.
1. Sunissa Lee
Surprisingly, Lee won the gold medal in the all-around final at the Tokyo Olympics. The Hmong American became the first Asian-American to win an Olympic gold medal in the all-around women’s gymnastics. She also won silver and bronze on uneven bars as a member of Team USA. Due to her success, she appeared as a contestant on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Her home state of Minnesota has declared July 30, 2021, “Sunisa Lee Day.” She was also named to Time 100, the journal’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Lee attended Clemson University, where she was part of the women’s gymnastics team.
Jason is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
