The bj-league's 10th All-Star Game will be held at Sendai's Xebio Arena on Jan. 24, 2016, it was announced on Tuesday.

It will also be the final All-Star Game before the upstart circuit's forced merger with NBL and NBDL teams, as orchestrated by the Japan 2024 Task Force, to form the new three-tier Japan Professional Basketball League for the 2016-17 season. (The task force is a joint project between FIBA and the Japan Basketball Association to overhaul the sport here.)

Sendai was named as the host city during last season's All-Star festivities on Feb. 1 in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, but the date wasn't formally announced until Tuesday.

The bj-league's fourth annual All-Star Game was hosted by the Sendai 89ers in Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture, on Jan. 31, 2010.

The last time a Western Conference team hosted the annual mid-season showcase was in January 2011, when the Osaka Evessa held that distinction.

On the move: Guard Narito Namizato, a two-time champion and key contributor for the Ryukyu Golden Kings since 2011, has joined the Evessa.

Osaka announced the move on Tuesday night.

Last season, Namizato averaged 7.8 points in 52 games. He handed out 156 assists against 70 turnovers.

The 25-year-old Okinawan scored a career-high 11.5 points in the 2012-13 season.