National Basketball League (Japan)
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The National Basketball League (NBL) is a professional basketball league in Japan. It exists alongside the bj league, which is Japan's other basketball competition. There is no system of promotion and relegation between bj-league and the NBL.
In 2012 the Japan Basketball Association (JBA) announced its intention to establish the National Basketball League as the top-flight professional league in Japan to replace its predecessor, the Japan Basketball League. Below the NBL is the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), which is the successor to the former JBL 2 division. The first NBL season started in Autumn 2013, with Toshiba defeating Wakayama to take the inaugural title in May 2014. [1]
The JBA was suspended by FIBA in November 2014 for failing to address the fragmentation of the sport into competing leagues. As a condition of FIBA lifting the suspension in August 2015, the NBL and NBDL will merge with the bj-league to form the B.League. The new league will commence in October 2016.[2]
Contents
Teams
The league's initial season in 2013-14 consisted of twelve teams. The eight teams that participated in the final season of the JBL1 joined the league, as well as the Hyogo Storks, who were champions of the JBL2. The Chiba Jets transferred to the league after having played two seasons in the bj-league, including a 9th place finish in 2012-13. Daytrick Tsukuba, who finished third in the JBL2 in 2012-13, applied to join the NBL, but subsequent financial difficulties saw them withdraw their application. They were replaced by the newly-formed Tsukuba Robots, who submitted a separate application for entry to the league. The twelfth team to join the league was the Kumamoto Volters, who had been seeking entrance into JBL2 since 2009. The teams were divided into Eastern and Western conferences as follows:
| 2013-14 National Basketball League - Eastern Conference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Team name | City, Prefecture | 2012-13 League |
| Chiba Jets | Funabashi, Chiba | bj-league (East conf. 6th) |
| Hitachi SunRockers | Tokyo | JBL1 (4th) |
| Levanga Hokkaido | Sapporo, Hokkaido | JBL1 (8th) |
| Link Tochigi Brex | Utsunomiya, Tochigi | JBL1 (6th) |
| Toshiba Brave Thunders Kanagawa | Kawasaki, Kanagawa | JBL1 (Runners-up) |
| Toyota Alvark Tokyo | Fuchū, Tokyo | JBL1 (3rd) |
| 2013-14 National Basketball League - Western Conference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Team name | City, Prefecture | 2012-13 League |
| Aisin SeaHorses Mikawa | Kariya, Aichi | JBL1 (Champions) |
| Hyogo Storks | Hyogo Prefecture | JBL2 (Champions) |
| Kumamoto Volters | Kumamoto, Kumamoto | New team |
| Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins Nagoya | Nagoya, Aichi | JBL1 (7th) |
| Tsukuba Robots | Tsukuba, Ibaraki | New team |
| Wakayama Trians | Wakayama, Wakayama | JBL1 (5th)[note 1] |
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<references />, or <references group="..." />The 2014-15 season saw the Hiroshima Dragonflies enter the league as an expansion team[3] and the Tsukuba Robots transfer from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference. The league abandoned the two-conference system for the 2015-16 season; teams instead played five matches against each other for a total 55-game regular season.[4] The Wakayama Trians, who withdrew from the 2014-15 season in January 2015 due to financial difficulty,[5] were refused entry into the 2015-2016 season.[6]
Current teams
- Aisin Seahorses Mikawa (Aichi Prefecture)
- Chiba Jets (Chiba Prefecture)
- Hiroshima Dragonflies (Hiroshima Prefecture)
- Hitachi SunRockers Tokyo (Tokyo, and Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture)
- Kumamoto Volters (Kumamoto Prefecture)
- Levanga Hokkaido (Hokkaido Prefecture)
- Link Tochigi Brex (Tochigi Prefecture)
- Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture)
- Nishinomiya Storks (Hyogo Prefecture)
- Toshiba Brave Thunders Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefecture)
- Toyota Alvark Tokyo (Tokyo)
- Tsukuba Robots (Ibaraki Prefecture)
Former teams
Playoff champions
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Toshiba Brave Thunders Kanagawa | Wakayama Trians |
| 2014–15 | Aisin Seahorses Mikawa | Toyota Alvark Tokyo |
All-star game
| Season | Date | Arena | Host City | Result | MVP (Team) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | December 29, 2013 | Ōta Gymnasium | Ōta, Tokyo | WEST 114-106 EAST | Michael Parker (Wakayama Trians) |
| 2014–15 | January 17, 2015 | WEST 127-114 EAST | Amath M'Baye (Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins Nagoya) | ||
| 2015–16 | January 17, 2016 | Todoroki Arena | Kawasaki, Kanagawa | WEST 152-145 EAST (2 OT) | Davante Gardner (Nishinomiya Storks)[7] |
References
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<references />, or <references group="..." />External links
- Official NBL website (Japanese)
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International men's basketball
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Men's basketball leagues
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- ↑ Brave Thunders cap dominant season with first NBL championship
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- ↑ Hiroshima Dragonflies triumph in NBL regular season debut
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