Longtime NBA assistant coach Charlie Parker and big man Melvin Ely, the 12th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, made their bj-league regular-season debuts on Saturday.
But the Shiga Lakestars upstaged the hosts, winning 96-85 and stealing the thunder from Parker's first regular-season as the Gunma Crane Thunders bench boss.
In 23-plus minutes, the 208-cm Ely scored 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting. The 36-year-old, who wrapped up the 2013-14 NBA season playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, had four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture.