The team has changed its name from the Toyota Alvark to the Alvark Tokyo as Japan's men's pro basketball enters a new era with the launch of the B. League this fall.
But the name switch is just a fragment of their sweeping reform. More importantly, the Alvark now embrace an attitude as a genuine professional basketball club that will play in the 18-team top division in the new circuit.
The Alvark were founded in 1948 and have been title contenders with star, national team-level players for a long time. But because they played in a semi-pro league, which has changed its name from the Japan League to the Japan Basketball League to the National Basketball League, they have concentrated mainly on just winning and cared less about making their home games entertaining attractions to draw more fans and have a bigger fan base.