Published July 24, 2026 5:55pm
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The Japan B.League is entering its 11th season and perhaps one of their proudest moments as a league was when they watched one of their own — former B.League player Yuki Kawamura — make it to the NBA.
Kawamura started playing in the B.League with the San-en NeoPhoenix, then moved to the Yokohama B-Corsairs, before eventually joining the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls, and now, the Indiana Pacers.
READ MORE | Yuki Kawamura carving his place in the NBA, talks former teammate Kai Sotto at Summer League
In just a decade or so, the Japanese professional league has sent one of its best to one of the world’s biggest leagues. And as it turns out, that was by design: the B.League had previously stated their goal of sending a certain number of players to the NBA by 2030.
“We have a clear goal, which is announced by the B-League, that we send five NBA players by 2030,” Japan B.League Executive Officer Nao Okamoto told GMA News Online on Thursday.
“Yuki is one. But it's not just for Japanese players. Now, Hyun-jung Lee from Nagasaki Velca, from Korea, is challenging, trying to reach the NBA.”
“We want to send players with high quality, not just Japanese,” he added.
READ MORE | South Korea's Lee Hyun-jung talks about Filipino B.League rivals and big dreams from NBA Summer League
With this goal, Okamoto said they need to diversify to make its competition stronger, and with that comes a tweak to one of its rules.
“Actually, from this year onwards, we changed our court regulation. Last year, we only accepted two imports and one either naturalized or Asian. So, two Japanese, right? From this year onwards, we changed to three imports and one either Asian or naturalized and one Japanese, maximum. So, which means we make it more diversified,” Okamoto said.
“We go to a totally different way with the other local leagues in Asia. We open up more and more, so, diversity is probably a key message for us to make us stronger.”
Okamoto also hopes more Filipino players will play in the B.League. “As long as we improve the level of basketball, like I said, we are a very diversified league. So, more high-quality players are very welcome.”
The B.League will hold its first overseas games here in Manila this September.
—JMB, GMA News