Former Japan men's basketball players Takehiko Orimo and Kei Igarashi are grateful the team's current iteration has raised its level in order to compete on the global level.
Orimo, who at 49 years old continues to play for the B. League's Levanga Hokkaido, played for Japan at the 1998 and 2006 world championships, while Igarashi was also on the '06 squad. Both are thrilled for their nation's team, which will compete at the upcoming FIBA World Cup in China.
Orimo, who with his exceptional shooting skills is one of the best scorers the country has ever produced, noted that in his day, Japanese players were focused on winning in the semiprofessional Japan Basketball League as well as in Asia — but not so much on the global stage.