John Harper Jr.
Japanese basketball player (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Lawrence Harper Jr.[a] is a Japanese basketball player who plays for the Tokyo Sunrockers of the B.League.
Harper with the Sunrockers | |||||||||||||||
| No. 3 – Tokyo Sunrockers | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Point guard | ||||||||||||||
| League | B.League | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | February 9, 2003 Okinawa, Japan | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Fukuoka Daiichi | ||||||||||||||
| College | Tokai | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Ryukyu Golden Kings | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Gunma Crane Thunders | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Tokyo Sunrockers | ||||||||||||||
Medals
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Early life and education
John Harper Jr. was born on 9 February 2003 in the Okinawa Prefecture to an American father and a Japanese mother.[4][5][6] He attended the Okinawa Municipal Koza Junior High School in Okinawa City.[5]
Harper then studied at the Fukuoka Daiichi High School, where he played for the schoo's basketball team.[6] He also attended Tokai University.[7]
Club career
B.League special designated player and college career
The Ryukyu Golden Kings of the B.League on January 2021 announced Harper to be their special designated player.[5] Harper debuted on February 6, 2021, at 17 years, 11 months, and 28 days old, becoming the youngest player to appear in a B.League game. The following day, he set another age record by becoming the youngest player to score in the league.[4]
After his stint with Ryuku, Harper enrolled with Tokai University in April 2021. He joined the Gunma Crane Thunders in January 2023.[8]
The Sunrockers Shibuya announced Harper joined the team in January 2024 to help them in the latter stages of the 2023–24 season.[2][7]
Shibuya/Tokyo Sunrockers
Harper started his professional career by signing a contract with the Sunrockers Shibuya in December 2024, in the middle of the 2024–25 season. At the time, he was still a student at Tokai University and was expected to graduate in March 2025.[2]
National team
Harper has been part of the Japan youth national team program as early as 2018.[8][9] He played for the Japan U19 team in the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia.[4]
He made his debut for the Japan senior national team in the February 2025 window of the qualifiers of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup.[4]
At the 2026 Asian Games, held in Japan, Harper helped Japan reach the final, where they lost to South Korea, earning a silver medal.[10][11]