On November 2, 2002, at Pac Bell Park, the JCCCNC honored five of the greatest Japanese American athletes of all time for their achievements by inducting them into the newly founded Japanese American Sports Hall of Fame (JASHF). The inaugural inductees to the JASHF were:

Ann Kiyomura Hayashi, Wimbledon Champion; Tommy Kono
Olympic Weightlifting Hall of Famer; Wat Misaka, Professional Basketball Player;
Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Ice Skating Gold Medalist; Wally Yonamine, Professional Football and Baseball Player.

By honoring these outstanding athletes and organizations, the JASHF intends to recognize not only their excellence in their chosen athletic field, but also the important role they played in bringing pride to the Japanese American community and to our nation.