The Akatsuki Five were once in a miserable situation, with their chances of earning a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics seemingly fading away.
Nine months later, Japan's men's team has put itself in a position to legitimately reach the FIBA World Cup finals, making it likely of securing a spot at the Summer Games as the host nation.
The country has not been guaranteed a spot by FIBA, the sport's global governing body, for the men's competition at the Olympics.