Rising attendance figures across the nation and increased media attention were two byproducts of the merger that created the B. League, when the disbanded NBL, NBDL and bj-league joined forces to make this a possibility.

And it was necessary to move the sports in the right direction in Japan. FIBA deserves a pat on the back for forcing the Japan Basketball Association to clean house and take the difficult steps to create the B. League.

Now, it's time to seriously address another important issue in Japan pro hoops. The integration of officials from the three aforementioned leagues has been a bumpy road for the three-tier B. League, aka B1, B2 and B3.