Japan has ambitious plans to become a basketball powerhouse but a row involving star player Rui Hachimura and disagreements over the domestic league's direction mean success is anything but a slam dunk. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/05/06/basketball/b-league/japan-basketball-headwinds/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #basketball #bleague #yutawatanabe #ruihachimura #shinjishimada #akatsukifive

Japan is a latecomer to basketball’s global expansion, but it has stratospheric expectations for its future. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2024/04/20/basketball/b-league/japan-basketball-high-hopes/ #basketball #bleague #sunrockersshibuya #jeffgibbs #tokyo #nba #shinjishimada