WE'RE about a week away from the highly anticipated opening of the 2021-22 B.League season as eight Filipinos are set to strut their stuff in Japan, showcasing their excellence on the hard court.
And rightfully so, excitement is high for our compatriots as they slowly settle down with their new teams.
San-En NeoPhoenix's Thirdy Ravena and Nagoya Diamond Dolphins' Bobby Ray Parks were the first out as they already got their sweats out in their respective teams' preseason games.
Kiefer Ravena of the Shiga Lakestars, Kobe Paras of the Niigata Albirex BB, and Juan Gomez de Liano of the Earthfriends Tokyo Z have also joined their team practices, while Ibaraki Robots' Javi Gomez de Liano and Kemark Carino of the Aomori Wat's are expected to follow suit.
But as eventful as this season is for the Filipinos, we're not the lone nationality that's looking to take the B.League by storm through the Asian Players Quota.
Five other Asians from four other countries have agreed to terms with Japanese ballclubs as they also aim to prove themselves in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Yang Jae-min (Shinshu Brave Warriors)
Like Thirdy Ravena last year, Yang could also be seen as a trailblazer as he was the first Korean to suit up in the B.League through the Asian Players Quota.
Only 22 years old, the 6-foot-7 forward played sparingly for Shinshu as he only nabbed 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.0 minutes of play through 38 games as the team went on a 20-34 record, good for 14th place.
He did have his moments, most notably his 19-point, 7-rebound, and 3-assist performance against Levanga Hokkaido back in April.
Yang has since re-signed with the Brave Warriors as the former Korean national youth team player seeks to contribute more in his sophomore season in Japan.
Wang Weijia (Akita Northern Happinets)
Wang was on the same boat as the 6-foot-6 forward rarely saw playing time in his first year with Akita last season.
Only playing 5.7 minutes across 17 games, the Chinese banger only nabbed 1.8 points and 1.5 boards as the Northern Happinets finished at 11th place with their 28-31 card.
Wang is hopeful, though, that he could get more chances in his second year in the B.League.
Brandon Jawato (Utsunomiya Brex)
There's probably no better proof of Indonesia basketball's ascent than Jawato's incoming B.League stint as he becomes the first Indonesian player to suit up in Japan.
The Hawaii-raised Indonesian-American winger was as good as advertised as he dropped 22 points, eight rebounds, and assists in the Timnas' 90-76 win over Thailand in his lone game in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers back in November.
At 6-foot-4, the 28-year-old Jawato only fortifies the Utsunomiya's loaded lineup.
And it comes in handy for a redemption-seeking Brex, which settled for runner-up honors to the Chiba Jets in the finals after ending the eliminations at first place with a 49-11 record.
Liu Jin (Nishinomiya Storks)
Liu's fate isn't much different to the others in this list as his first season in Japan only saw him play seven minutes through 41 games and tally only 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds.
The 6-foot-8 Chinese center, though, is positive that he could be of use in his second season in the second division of the B.League, all the more after Nishinomiya's third place finish in the eliminations last season after a 40-18 campaign.
Unfortunately, the Storks bowed out early in the playoffs as they got swept by the 6-seed Sendai 89ers in quarterfinals.
Lin Chih Wei (Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka)
Historic also is Lin's signing as he becomes the first Taiwanese to play in the B.League.
The 29-year-old's maturity will come in handy for a Fukuoka team which only wound up 11th in the second division last year with its 26-33 card.
But it's not just his experience but also his skills, as the 6-foot-6 Lin was a solid contributor for Bank of Taiwan in the Super Basketball League last season with his averages of 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.9 minutes of action.
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