Ryuji Aoki set to launch pro career with Shinshu Brave Warriors
Ryuji Aoki will begin his pro basketball career with the Shinshu Brave Warriors. The defending B. League second-division champions made the announcement on Wednesday, giving the cerebral guard a chance to begin his pro career in his homeland. The 21-year-old Aoki, who was born in Aichi ...
Diamond Dolphins improve playoff chances with third straight victory
As the regular season winds down, the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins are trying to secure one of the final playoff spots, possibly the eighth and final berth. They moved a step closer to making that goal a reality on Saturday, hammering the visiting Osaka Evessa 73-49. With ...
SeaHorses hold off Levanga down the stretch
Mikawa's Takanobu Nishikawa scored a season-best 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting on Friday night. The SeaHorses also dominated on the boards in an 84-77 victory over the visiting Levanga Hokkaido. Isaac Butts, J.R. Sakuragi and Ko Kumagai added 15 points apiece for the SeaHorses (15-15) in ...
Diamond Dolphins star Justin Burrell helps Overseas Elite capture summer hoop crown
Who says lounging on the beach, camping in the mountains or holding a block party should be the only plans for summer fun? Playing basketball can be a serious summer activity (ask any Rucker Park alumni), but it can also be a lot of fun. ...
Justin Burrell, Shuto Ando spark Diamond Dolphins in series-opening win over B-Corsairs
Justin Burrell scored a game-high 20 points, including 10 in the pivotal fourth quarter, as the visiting Nagoya Diamond Dolphins topped the Yokohama B-Corsairs 77-71 on Friday night. Burrell, the 2011-12 bj-league MVP while playing for the B-Corsairs and leading them to the Final Four ...
Lakestars' Narito Namizato one of top talents at ball distribution
The art of the pass isn't in vogue like rapid-fire 3-point shooting at any juncture, but there are a number of gifted ball-distribution artists in the B. League. And like Christmas cards, it's the gift that keeps on giving. Just ask any of the high-scoring ...
Nagoya's Justin Burrell provides clutch performance at free-throw line in OT victory over Hokkaido
Justin Burrell displayed poise time after time at the free-throw line on Friday night. It paid off for the visiting Nagoya Diamond Dolphins. Burrell sank 16 of 18 foul shots as Nagoya outlasted the Levanga Hokkaido 92-89 in overtime in their series opener in Sapporo. The St. ...
Nagoya's Burrell key for team in transition
Justin Burrell has distinguished himself as one of the elite basketball players in Japan this decade. The dynamic forward helped lead the expansion Yokohama B-Corsairs to the bj-league Final Four in 2012 and earned the circuit's regular-season MVP award. Since then, he's been a vital contributor ...
Move from Akita to Tokyo a boost for Ando
Capable playmaker Seiya Ando leaves the rebuilding Akita Northern Happinets to play for the new-look Alvark Tokyo. And with the move, he may experience a lot more winning in the upcoming campaign, too. The Alvark went 44-16 this past season; the Happinets had an 18-42 regular-season ...
Under-appreciated Kanamaru has spotlight-worthy skills
Kosuke Kanamaru doesn't receive as much media attention as elite Japanese stars in other pro sports leagues in his native country. That doesn't mean, however, that the SeaHorses Mikawa superstar doesn't deserve fanfare and recognition by the sporting press. Baseball and soccer standouts overshadow the stellar ...
Nagoya's Bachynski stepping up with Burrell injured
The absence of the injured Justin Burrell, one of the elite stars in Japan pro basketball over the past decade, has forced the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins to make some adjustments. The All-Star power forward is out of the lineup with a right-calf injury, having missed ...
Diamond Dolphins overcome Burrell's absence to beat Alvark
Without injured All-Star forward Justin Burrell's commanding presence on the court, the determined Nagoya Diamond Dolphins stayed aggressive and relied on all-around hustle over the weekend against the Alvark Tokyo. Nagoya rebounded from a four-point Saturday loss by outlasting the hosts in overtime on Sunday, ...
