Veteran big man David Simon lighting it up for Kyoto
Two weeks is a small sample size, but it provides some clues about the potential of players and teams since the new season tipped off on Oct. 3. We're already seeing the emergence of some new impact players and the continued excellence of key performers ...
Akita, Shimane are model local teams
Japan's pro basketball landscape completely changed during the bj-league's 11 seasons of operations. From six franchises in its inaugural 2005-06 season to 24 in the final year, new teams sprouted up every year throughout the nation. And so it's worth noting that the 2019-20 campaign ...
Veteran bench boss Zeljko Pavlicevic steered Al-Ittihad to the brink of a potential deep run in the Libyan League playoffs earlier this spring. But the outbreak of violence this month in the North African nation forced the Libyan Basketball Federation on April 6 to suspend ...
Zeljko Pavlicevic making an impact with new coaching role in Libya
Zeljko Pavlicevic has never been shy about accepting bold challenges. He embraced the pressure of high-profile coaching jobs in Yugoslavia, Greece and Spain before setting foot in Japan in 2003 to lead the men's national team and plant the seeds of success for the future ...
Joji Takeuchi, Jawad Williams a dynamic duo for Alvark
When a team has a deep bench, a coach has a better set of options to choose from. For the Alvark Tokyo, it's abundantly clear that new coach Luka Pavicevic has this luxury. And having two bona-fide stars in Joji Takeuchi and Jawad Williams at ...
Chiba's Michael Parker hits milestone with 10,000th point
Michael Parker has quietly compiled impressive numbers throughout his pro basketball career in Japan. The veteran forward's success speaks for itself. He won four scoring titles in the bj-league, including a league-record 27.3 points per game in the 2010-11 season, establishing himself as a prolific point ...
Challenge awaits Hasegawa in Tochigi
What impact will Kenji Hasegawa make for the defending champion Tochigi Brex in his first season at the helm? Will the new head coach tinker too much with the winning formula that carried the Brex to their second championship under Tom Wisman in the past ...
Journeyman Hamilton gives Bambitious boost in frontcourt
The Bambitious Nara's recent signing of Gary Hamilton signals the team's serious commitment to winning. Vying for supremacy in the B. League's second division will be the name of the game for new bench boss Zeljko Pavlicevic's club, with Hamilton being a key piece to ...
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 ...
Coaching changes spawn diverse mix in leadership ranks
With the movement of coaches this offseason in the first and second divisions, a new-look leadership melting pot is forming for the 2017-18 season. Coaches from Croatia, the United States, Australia, Spain and Montenegro join the mix for the 36 combined clubs in B1 and ...
Familiar foes set to face off in semis
For the remaining four title-chasing participants in the B. League Championship, familiarity over the years is a common thread. After all, the Tochigi Brex, SeaHorses Mikawa, Kawasaki Brave Thunders and Alvark Tokyo played often against one another in the old JBL and its successor, the ...
Japan hoop legend Kohama dead at 84
Mototaka Kohama, affectionately known as the "Godfather of Japanese basketball," died on Thursday. He was 84. Kohama passed away from pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital. He had been battling cancer. The coaching legend's lifelong passion for the game inspired generations of players and coaches in Japan. ...
