This Toyota Motors Alvark team is a completely different team than the one that exited the floor in a losing fashion in the JBL championship series four years ago.
The 2011-12 Alvark are a cheerful bunch, and they've created a feel-good, winning atmosphere.
Meet Keijuro "K.J." Matsui and Taishi Ito, good examples of the team's friendly, outgoing style.
"This is more like a team in the United States," Matsui said after his team's practice on Tuesday, one day before the JBL Finals' Game 1 against the Aisin Sea Horses (31-11 regular-season record, tops in the JBL) at Tokyo's Yoyogi National Gymnasium Annex. The first game tips off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.