bj league

Bj league
Sport basketball
Founded 2005
Inaugural season 2005–06
Owner(s) Basketball Japan League Co.,Ltd.
Commissioner Toshimitsu Kawachi
No. of teams 24
Country  Japan
Continent FIBA Asia (Asia)
Most recent champion(s) Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (3rd title)
Most titles Osaka Evessa
Ryukyu Golden Kings
Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (3 titles each)
TV partner(s) BS Fuji, Gaora
Level on pyramid 1
Official website bj-league.com

The bj league (Basketball Japan League) is a professional basketball league in Japan that began on November 5, 2005. The 22-team league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. It had its inaugural All-Star game in 2006. Turkish Airlines has been the major sponsor since the 2014–15 season.[1]

The bj league operates on the American sports franchise system. Alongside the bj league there is the National Basketball League, which is a corporate league composed of company teams and other clubs that are affiliated with the Japan Basketball Association, the official governing body of basketball in Japan. There is no promotion and relegation between the bj league and the NBL. FIBA suspended the JBA from November 2014 until August 2015. As a condition of lifting the suspension, the bj league will merge with the NBL and the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) to form the B.League.[2]

Teams

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Former teams

Defunct teams

Expansion

The bj league has rapidly expanded since its inauguration as a six-team league in 2005.[3] The league expanded to 22 teams for the 2014–15 season with the addition of the Fukushima Firebonds.[4] For its final season the number increased to 24 with the addition of Kanazawa Samuraiz and Hiroshima Lightning.

Playoff champions

Season Champions Runners-up
2005–06Osaka EvessaNiigata Albirex BB
2006–07Osaka EvessaTakamatsu Five Arrows
2007–08Osaka EvessaTokyo Apache
2008–09Ryukyu Golden KingsTokyo Apache
2009–10Hamamatsu Higashimikawa PhoenixOsaka Evessa
2010–11Hamamatsu Higashimikawa PhoenixRyukyu Golden Kings
2011–12Ryukyu Golden KingsHamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix
2012–13Yokohama B-CorsairsRizing Fukuoka
2013–14Ryukyu Golden KingsAkita Northern Happinets
2014–15Hamamatsu Higashimikawa PhoenixAkita Northern Happinets

All-star game

SeasonDateArenaHost CityResultMVP (Team)
2006–07January 27, 2007Ginowan Municipal GymnasiumGinowan City, Okinawa PrefectureEAST 126–97 WESTJerod Ward (Toyama Grouses)
2007–08December 29, 2007Toki Messe Niigata City, Niigata PrefectureEAST 121–94 WESTNaoto Kosuge (Niigata Albirex BB)
2008–09January 25, 2009B-Con PlazaBeppu, Ōita PrefectureEAST 117–96 WESTBobby St. Preux (Sendai 89ERS)
2009–10January 31, 2010Sekisui Heim Super ArenaRifu, Miyagi PrefectureWEST 105–102 EASTMichael Parker (Rizing Fukuoka)
2010–11January 23, 2011Osaka Prefectural GymnasiumOsaka, Osaka PrefectureWEST 110–109 EASTLynn Washington (Osaka Evessa)
2011–12January 15, 2012Saitama Super ArenaSaitama, Saitama PrefectureWEST 120–93 EASTLynn Washington (Osaka Evessa)
2012–13January 20, 2013Ariake ColloseumKoto Ward, TokyoWEST 128–119 EASTMichael Parker (Shimane Susanoo Magic)
2013–14January 26, 2014Akita Municipal GymnasiumAkita, Akita PrefectureEAST 98–91 WESTYuki Togashi (Akita Northern Happinets)
2014–15February 1, 2015ALSOK Gunma ArenaGunma, Gunma PrefectureWEST 105–94 EASTTerrance Woodbury (Shiga Lakestars)

Awards

Season MVP

Season Recipient Team
2005–06Lynn WashingtonOsaka Evessa
2006–07David PalmerOsaka Evessa
2007–08Lynn WashingtonOsaka Evessa
2008–09Jeff NewtonRyukyu Golden Kings
2009–10Wendell WhiteHamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix
2010–11Jeffrey ParmerHamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix
2011–12Justin Burrell[5]Yokohama B-Corsairs
2012–13Anthony McHenryRyukyu Golden Kings
2013–14Masashi JohoToyama Grouses
2014–15Kejuan JohnsonSendai 89ers

Best 5

SeasonGuardForwardCenter
2005–06Matt Lottich
(Osaka Evessa)		Yukinori Suzuki
(Oita Heat Devils)		Michael Jackson
(Sendai 89ERS)		William Pippen
(Tokyo Apache)		Nick Davis
(Niigata Albirex BB)
2006–07Kouhei Aoki
(Tokyo Apache)		Rasheed Sparks
(Takamatsu Five Arrows)		Lynn Washington
(Osaka Evessa)		Andy Ellis
(Oita Heat Devils)		Nick Davis
(Niigata Albirex BB)
2007–08Mikey Marshall
(Osaka Evessa)		Naoto Takushi
(Ryukyu Golden Kings)		Reggie Warren
(Takamatsu Five Arrows)		Andy Ellis
(Oita Heat Devils)		Patrick Whearty
(Sendai 89ERS)
2008–09Michael Gardener
(Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)		Naoto Takushi
(Ryukyu Golden Kings)		Bobby St. Preux
(Sendai 89ERS)		Lynn Washington
(Osaka Evessa)		Jeff Newton
(Ryukyu Golden Kings)
2009–10Kouhei Aoki
(Tokyo Apache)		Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
(Kyoto Hannaryz)		Michael Parker
(Rizing Fukuoka)		Wendell White
(Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)		Julius Ashby
(Tokyo Apache)
2010–11Wayne Arnold
(Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)		Takumi Ishizaki
(Shimane Susanoo Magic)		Jeffrey Parmer
(Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)		Michael Parker
(Rizing Fukuoka)		Anthony McHenry
(Ryukyu Golden Kings)
2011–12Jermaine Dixon
(Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)		Masashi Joho
(Toyama Grouses)		Kevin Palmer
(Ryukyu Golden Kings)		Justin Burrell
(Yokohama B-Corsairs)		Atsuya Ohta
(Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)
2012–13Narito Namizato
(Ryukyu Golden Kings)		Draelon Burns
(Yokohama B-Corsairs)		Anthony McHenry
(Ryukyu Golden Kings)		Chris Holm
(Niigata Albirex BB)		Jeral Davis
(Shimane Susanoo Magic)
SeasonGuardForward
2013–14Yuki Togashi
(Akita Northern Happinets)		Masashi Joho
(Toyama Grouses)		Ira Brown
(Toyama Grouses)		Reggie Warren
(Rizing Fukuoka)		Anthony McHenry
(Ryukyu Golden Kings)
2014–15Shigehiro Taguchi
(Akita Northern Happinets)		Kejuan Johnson
(Sendai 89ers)		Scootie Randall
(Iwate Big Bulls)		Richard Roby
(Akita Northern Happinets)		Reggie Warren
(Rizing Fukuoka)

References

  1. ↑ Turkish Airlines becomes top sponsor
  2. ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (29 August 2015). "JPBL finalizes division placements for 2016–17". The Japan Times. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  3. ↑ JBA vacillates as clock ticks on possible FIBA suspension
  4. ↑ Odeven, Ed (2 October 2014). "Key questions entering 10th season". Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  5. ↑ American Justin Burrell wins MVP in Japan pro league – ESPN

External links

Coordinates: 35°28′20″N 133°03′55″E / 35.47222°N 133.06528°E / 35.47222; 133.06528

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