The Ryukyu Golden Kings have established a new standard of excellence in the bj-league this season.
They won 12 consecutive games to start the season and 41 of 52 regular-season contests. They knocked off the three-time defending champion Osaka Evessa in the playoff semifinals on Saturday in a game that will still be called a classic in 100 years. And less than 24 hours later, they relied on old-fashioned teamwork to capture their first bj-league title on Sunday, topping the Tokyo Apache 89-82.
All five Golden Kings starters scored in double figures. Anthony McHenry, a Georgia Tech product, was the high scorer with 19 points, followed by Chris Ayer's 17, Shigeyuki Kinjo's 16, Naoto Takushi's 13 and Jeff Newton's 11.