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The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent guard Yuta Tabuse (You-TA Ta-BOO-say), it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

Tabuse averaged 1.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 4.3 minutes in four games with the Phoenix Suns during the 2004-05 season. The 5’9”, 165-pound guard made NBA history on November 3, 2004 in the season opener vs. Atlanta by becoming the first Japanese-born player to appear in an NBA game, scoring a career-high seven points in 10 minutes played. Tabuse, who missed 16 games due to a right quadriceps strain, was activated off the injured list on December 10 and appeared in two games before being released on December 18.

Following his release from the Suns, Tabuse rejoined Long Beach of the ABA and averaged 9.0 points and 6.3 assists in 12 games. Tabuse helped lead Long Beach to the 2004 ABA Championship by averaging 5.3 points and a team-leading 6.3 assists per game.

Tabuse played two years at BYU-Hawaii before returning to Japan where he was named Rookie of the Year in his only season with Toyota Alvark of the Japanese Basketball League. Prior to making Phoenix’s roster, Tabuse also played for the Dallas Mavericks entry in the 2003 Rocky Mountain Revue and attended training camp with Denver Nuggets before being released in October 2003.