bj league

Bj league

Current season or competition: 2011–12 bj league season
Sport	Basketball
Founded	2005
No. of teams	13
Country(ies)	Japan
Most recent champion(s)	Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix
TV partner(s)	BS Fuji, Gaora
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 ten team league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference, and the Western Conference. It had its inaugural All-Star game in 2006. One of its major sponsors is Spalding.

The bj league operates on the American sports franchise system. Below the bj there is a Japan Basketball League, composed of company and otherwise-affiliated clubs, with promotion and relegation between its two divisions but not between bj and JBL-1. This organization is similar to the Rugby Super League in England and is also shown in the British Basketball League (which includes clubs from both England and Scotland).

Teams

Eastern Conference

• Iwate Big Bulls (Iwate Prefecture)
• Akita Northern Happinets (Akita Prefecture)
• Sendai 89ERS (Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture)
• Niigata Albirex BB (Niigata, Niigata Prefecture)
• Toyama Grouses (Toyama Prefecture)
• Shinshu Brave Warriors (Nagano Prefecture)
• Saitama Broncos (Saitama Prefecture)
• Chiba Jets (Chiba Prefecture)
• Yokohama B-Corsairs (Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture)
• Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Higashimikawa Area, Aichi Prefecture)

Western Conference

• Shiga Lakestars (Shiga Prefecture)
• Kyoto Hannaryz (Kyoto Prefecture)
• Osaka Evessa (Osaka Prefecture)
• Shimane Susanoo Magic (Shimane Prefecture)
• Takamatsu Five Arrows (Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture)
• Rizing Fukuoka (Fukuoka Prefecture)
• Oita Heat Devils (Beppu, Ōita Prefecture)
• Miyazaki Shining Suns (Miyazaki Prefecture)
• Ryukyu Golden Kings (Okinawa Prefecture)

Defunct teams

• Tokyo Apache (Tokyo)

Expansion

The bj-league plans on expanding to 24 teams by the 2014-15 season, the 10th anniversary of the league creation.

Several organizations are vying for expansion. Those in the running for expansion are from:

• Ibaraki - Ibaraki Longhorns
• Nara
• Shimane
• Miyagi
• Aomori
• Gunma

The league is also considering creation of specific leagues for youth, women, and people with disabilities.

Playoff champions

Season	Champions	Runners-up
2005–06	Osaka Evessa	Niigata Albirex BB
2006–07	Osaka Evessa	Takamatsu Five Arrows
2007–08	Osaka Evessa	Tokyo Apache
2008–09	Ryukyu Golden Kings	Tokyo Apache
2009–10	Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix	Osaka Evessa
2010–11	Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix	Ryukyu Golden Kings

All-star game

Season	Date	Arena	Host City	Result	MVP (Team)
2006-07	January 27, 2007	Ginowan Municipal Gymnasium	Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture	EAST 126-97 WEST	Jerod Ward (Toyama Grouses)
2007-08	December 29, 2007	Toki Messe	Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture	EAST 121-94 WEST	Kosuke Naoto (Niigata Albirex BB)
2008-09	January 25, 2009	B-Con Plaza	Beppu, Ōita Prefecture	EAST 117-96 WEST	Bobby St. Preux (Sendai 89ERS)
2009-10	January 31, 2010	Sekisui Heim Super Arena	Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture	WEST 105–102 EAST	Michael Parker (Rizing Fukuoka)
2010-11	January 23, 2011	Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium	Osaka, Osaka Prefecture	WEST 110–109 EAST	Michael Parker (Rizing Fukuoka)

Awards

Season MVP

Season	Recipient	Team
2005-06	Lynn Washington	Osaka Evessa
2006-07	David Palmer	Osaka Evessa
2007-08	Lynn Washington	Osaka Evessa
2008-09	Jeff Newton	Ryukyu Golden Kings
2009-10	Wendell White	Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix
2010-11	Jeffrey Parmer	Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix

Best 5

Season	Guard		Forward		Center
2005-06	Matt Lottich (Osaka Evessa)	Yukinori Suzuki (Oita Heat Devils)	Michael Jackson (Sendai 89ERS)	William Pippen (Tokyo Apache)	Nick Davis (Niigata Albirex BB)
2006-07	Kouhei Aoki (Tokyo Apache)	Rasheed Sparks (Takamatsu Five Arrows)	Lynn Washington (Osaka Evessa)	Andy Ellis (Oita Heat Devils)	Nick Davis (Niigata Albirex BB)
2007-08	Mikey Marshall (Osaka Evessa)	Naoto Takushi (Ryukyu Golden Kings)	Reggie Warren (Takamatsu Five Arrows)	Andy Ellis (Oita Heat Devils)	Patrick Whearty (Sendai 89ERS)
2008-09	Michael Gardener (Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)	Naoto Takushi (Ryukyu Golden Kings)	Bobby St. Preux (Sendai 89ERS)	Lynn Washington (Osaka Evessa)	Jeff Newton (Ryukyu Golden Kings)
2009-10	Kouhei Aoki (Tokyo Apache)	Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Kyoto Hannaryz)	Michael Parker (Rizing Fukuoka)	Wendell White (Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)	Julius Ashby (Tokyo Apache)
2010-11	Wayne Arnold (Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix)	Takumi Ishizaki (Shimane Susanoo Magic)	Jeffrey Parmer Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix	Michael Parker (Rizing Fukuoka)	Anthony McHenry Ryukyu Golden Kings

External links

• (Japanese) bj-league Official Web site
• (Japanese) bjtv