In his opening statement at a news conference on Sunday, Japan Basketball Association president Saburo Kawabuchi joked that there weren't as many reporters and TV cameras as he had expected.
But Kawabuchi understood the reason. He knew that the announcement he was about to make was something that they knew was coming.
The JBA, which had been suspended by FIBA since late last year, was unofficially readmitted to the international basketball fold in June. But a few hours after the three-day FIBA Central Board meeting in Tokyo wrapped up on Sunday, Kawabuchi announced that the lifting of the suspension was now official.