The B.League is leading the way in changing the future of Japanese basketball.
Since 2016, Japanese basketball has undergone a complete transformation.
The birth of the B.League brings this change.
Here, I would like to take a moment to write about Japanese basketball, specifically the B.League.
Having watched basketball for nearly 40 years, I can say the landscape has completely changed.
Before the B.League: Japanese Basketball History
Olympic Debut – Up to 1950
The Japanese men's national team easily made their Olympic debut in 1936, the first year basketball became an official event at the Berlin Games. However, Japan was one of only three teams from Asia, along with the Philippines and China. At that time, there were no Asian qualifiers, and the entry hurdles were very low.
Shortly after Japan's major insurance company, Tokyo Marine formed a basketball team, the precursor to today's Sun Rockers Shibuya, global electronics giant Hitachi also founded a team. Unfortunately, some of these teams, like Hitachi's, eventually disbanded, but others like Nippon Mining, Nippon Kokan(NKK), Mitsui Life, and Toyota—now the powerhouse team Alvark Tokyo—and Aisin—now Seahorses Mikawa—emerged and went on to lead Japanese basketball for many years.
In 1950, the first World Championship (now known as the World Cup) was held in Argentina, the home country of former Japan national team head coach Julio Lamas. Argentina won, and since the Asian Basketball Federation had not yet been formed, no teams from Asia participated.
Victory at the 3rd Asian Championship – Up to 1965
In 1949, the National Basketball Association (NBA) was born through the merger of two leagues. Around the same time, many corporate teams were being formed in Japan. While many teams later disbanded, in 1957, Toyota Tsusho, the precursor to today's Fighting Eagles Nagoya, launched their basketball division. In 1965, OSG, the precursor to the current San-en NeoPhoenix, also formed a team.
Looking back, this era might have been the first golden age of the Japanese men's national team. From the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Japan qualified for three consecutive Olympic Games. In 1965, Japan won its first Asian Championship title, defeating the Philippines in the final. However, it's important to note that China, having become the People's Republic of China in 1949, withdrew from FIBA in 1958 for political reasons and did not participate in the Asian Championship.
The Last Olympic Appearance – Up to 1976
In the absence of China, Japan continued to dominate Asian basketball, and in 1967, the Japan Industrial League was established, bringing together eight teams, including the newly formed Nippon Steel. This "Original Eight," as they were known, would later all disband except for Tokyo Marine.
Japan's national team won the 1971 Asian Championship in Tokyo, securing their spot in the 1972 Munich Olympics. The 1976 Montreal Olympics was the last time, prior to the B.League, that the Japanese men's national team qualified for the Olympics. However, China boycotted the games due to Taiwan's participation.
After the B.League: The Transformation of Japanese Basketball
Saburo Kawabuchi
In the midst of a crisis, where Japan's top basketball league had been split into two, FIBA imposed sanctions on Japanese basketball. With the threat of being barred from international competitions looming, a savior appeared: Saburo Kawabuchi.
Kawabuchi is the man who founded the J.League in 1993 and became its first chairman. He swiftly revived Japanese basketball, unifying the two leagues and becoming the inaugural chairman of the B.League.
Though he was a former soccer player, Kawabuchi turned out to be the savior of Japanese basketball. His involvement was a stroke of luck for the sport.
Even though he wasn’t knowledgeable about basketball, Kawabuchi managed to gather people and funds in a remarkably short time.
A Stroke of Luck
Speaking of luck, two star players emerged: Yuta Watanabe and Rui Hachimura.
While the B.League didn’t directly nurture these two talents, their exceptional size and skill catapulted them to the forefront of Japanese basketball.
Both played in Japan through high school before advancing to Division 1 NCAA basketball, a major milestone. Watanabe, in particular, was heavily recruited by many Japanese universities. The thought of Watanabe staying in Japan for college sends shivers down my spine—it’s a path that could have stunted his growth.
And then there are the naturalized players.
In the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, Japan struggled through the qualifiers and was on the brink of elimination. However, Nick Fazekas, a former Nevada University star and player for B1’s Kawasaki Brave Thunders, was naturalized. Alongside Rui Hachimura, he led Japan to a crucial victory against Australia on home soil, a match now famously known as the “Chiba Miracle.” This turning point opened the door for more foreign players in the B.League to become naturalized citizens. By the time of the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Olympics, Gavin Edwards, a University of Connecticut alumnus, played a key role. In the 2023 World Cup and heading into the 2024 Olympics, Josh Hawkinson, a Washington State graduate, displayed extraordinary performances to lead Japan.
Hosting Privileges
Although Japan’s performance in the Tokyo Olympics (losing all their preliminary matches) wasn’t ideal, being able to participate as the host nation was a significant opportunity. Likewise, hosting the 2023 World Cup games in Okinawa (marking two consecutive Asian hosts!) was another stroke of fortune for Japanese basketball.
The Future of the B.League and Japanese Basketball
2024
Although the Japanese men's national team once again failed to win a game in the Paris Olympics, they put up a valiant fight, exemplified by their overtime battle against France.
After concluding his NBA journey, Yuta Watanabe transferred to the B.League, joining the Chiba Jets!
Rui Hachimura, on the other hand, will likely continue playing in the NBA for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, over ten Japanese players are on their way to playing in Division 1 NCAA basketball.
And then, there’s Yuki Kawamura. Having joined the B.League almost immediately after graduating from high school, he has become the starting point guard for the Japanese national team—a player truly "raised by the B.League." His potential NBA challenge is something to eagerly anticipate.
B.League Premier
The B.League continues to evolve with new ideas, and one such concept is the B.League Premier. Though it has been met with mixed reactions domestically, it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on. Check out this video:
<Participating Clubs>
Utsunomiya, ChibaJ., A.Tokyo, Kawasaki, Ryukyu(Okinawa), Hokkaido, Senadai, Gunma, A.Chiba, Shibuya, Yokohama, Shinsyu, San-En, NagoyaD.,Shimane, Hiroshima, Saga, Toyama, Mikawa, Shiga, Kobe, Nagasaki
*At the time of posting. Selected based on attendance, revenue, and arena size.
One More Stroke of Luck
While Kawabuchi is undoubtedly the savior of Japanese basketball...
We must also acknowledge the contributions of foreign figures like Tom Hovasse. (Yes, Kawamura’s growth owes much to Hovasse as well.)
We owe a great deal of gratitude to these individuals.
Long before the B.League even launched, Japan was fortunate to welcome many exceptional foreign players and coaches. (I hope to introduce them someday.)
Without the foundation they helped build, Japanese basketball would not be where it is today.
Be sure to also check out my posts on the Japanese high school basketball system, which nurtured Watanabe, Hachimura, and Kawamura.
> Little Known High School Basketball in Japan
> International players in Japanese high school basketball
If you find any mistakes in this post, we would appreciate it if you could point them out to us on Twitter or by filling out the form below. Thank you very much!