Akira Jacobs

Tajon Akira Jacobs (Japanese: ジェイコブス 晶, born April 13, 2004) is a Japanese basketball player for the Fordham Rams of the Atlantic 10 Conference. He was a member of the Japanese men's basketball team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Early life Jacobs was born in Yokohama, Japan, to a Japanese mother and an American father who was serving in the military. He moved with his family to Southern California a few months after he was born. He played on the basketball teams when he attended Redondo Union High School and Dymally High School in California. He was the first Japanese prospect to join an NBA Academy on a full-time basis. Jacobs chose to play for the Rainbow Warriors because of Hawaii's links to Japanese culture and its closeness to both Japan and California. He averaged 2.4 points in 28 games during his freshman season.

National team career Jacobs was a member of the under-18 Japanese men's national team that won the silver medal at the 2022 FIBA U18 Asian Championship;

Personal life Jacobs holds dual Japanese and American citizenship.