He was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 2nd round (56th pick) of the 1998 NBA draft where he played one season.

[8] In 2001, he moved to Japan to play for the Aisin Seahorses of the JBL Super League, averaging 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in 2006.

[7] Sakuragi's application to become a naturalized Japanese citizen cleared on July 2, 2007, and he changed his name from J. R. Henderson to J. R.

It also corresponded to the name of Hanamichi Sakuragi, the protagonist of the popular basketball manga Slam Dunk.

[8] Sakuragi played for the Japan national team as they competed in the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, a qualifier for the 2008 Summer Olympics.