Boy, this could have been really embarrassing. In 2004, Yuta Tabuse made basketball history by being the first Japanese player to play in the NBA. The 5-9, 165-pound failed to make an Ichiro-sized impact and by last Christmas, he had been dropped by the Phoenix Suns and was playing on some ABA team in Long Beach.

In order to appeal to the Japanese market, EA Sports slapped Tabuse on the box for NBA LIVE 06. The hoopster was without a team, until last month when the Los Angeles Clippers thankfully stepped in and signed the player. So now he's got a team. Whether or not he'll play remains to be seen.

Tabuse Profile [ESPN]