An event was held in Tokyo with players from 1 teams belonging to the B24 men's basketball B-League that will start next month, and KAWAMURA Yuki, who helped Japan qualify for the Olympics at the World Cup, expressed his enthusiasm for the new season.
Basketball attracted a lot of attention as the men's Japan national team won three World Cups this summer and qualified for the Olympics on their own for the first time in 3 years.
Against this backdrop, an event was held in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo on the 48th, in which core players from 25 B1 teams participated.
Kawamura of the Yokohama Bee Corsairs, who participated in the World Cup as a member of the Japan National Team, said, "I think many people watched the sport of basketball at the World Cup, so I want to express the charm of the B.League and the appeal of basketball through my plays."
In addition, Hayatoshi Maki of the Ryukyu Golden Kings, who won the championship for the first time last season, expressed his enthusiasm for winning the second consecutive title, saying, "I am very honored to be able to play the opening game of the B.League while basketball is attracting more attention.
B24 of the B-League will open with a match between Ryukyu and Saga Ballooners, who were promoted for the first time, on the 1th of next month, and each team will play 2 games in the regular season in each of the three districts to determine the championship final in May next year.
Japan National Team Captain Yuki Togashi "If we can play with the same quality as the World Cup"
Speaking to NHK after the event, Chiba Jets captain TOGASHI Yuki of the Japan National Team shared his feelings ahead of the new season, saying, "I think we need to carry the excitement of the World Cup to the B.League, but my feelings for playing will not change, so I will do my best to perform well."
He commented that his current condition is "very good," and said, "We are preparing for the opening of the season without a period of time to stay away from basketball, so it would be nice if we could continue to open the season."
As for how to connect the excitement of the World Cup to the B-League, he said, "I think all the teams have been preparing over the past few years to create a space where people who come to the venue for the first time can enjoy themselves. I hope that each team and player can play with the same quality as in the World Cup."
He also stated his goal for the new season, "I just have to do my best to help the team win the championship, and then the national team will follow.
Yuki Kawamura "Focus on the match in front of you"
Looking ahead to the new season, KAWAMURA Yuki said, "Our job is to demonstrate what we have built up against our goals.
Last season, Kawamura was selected as the MVP = Most Valuable Player Award, Best Five, and Rookie of the Year in the B-League, and he was not concerned about his personal goals for the new season, saying, "I want to be a point guard who leads to the championship, so I am not conscious of individual titles at all."
Looking back on his performance at the World Cup, where he left a great impact on the world, he said, "I think my quickness is well understood in the world, and if I master it more, my speed will stand out even more, so I am challenging my slow speed and shooting accuracy as an issue."
"I think it's important to focus on the match in front of us, and I think this season's result will appeal to the head coach of the Japan National Team, Tom Horvath, so we will do our best to win the championship with team first."
In order to continue the popularity of basketball that increased during the World Cup, he said, "I think the best thing is to play as hard as you can, and if people can see you competing seriously, I think that alone will convey the appeal of basketball."