THE Japan B. League confirmed talks are ongoing wth the PBA for a collaboration between two of the top professional basketball leagues in Asia.
Nao Okamoto, executive officer for international business of the B.League, bared they are working with Asia’s pioneering play-for-pay league for possible exhibition games featuring teams and players from both leagues.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will also play a role in the partnership, according to Okamoto.
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“Yes, we have been communicating with Mr. Willie Marcial. We have also been talking with the SBP,” said the Japanese basketball official during the opener of the Japan B.League Final Week in Manila held at the UGB Quantum Skyview of the Gateway Mall.
Okamoto didn’t go into detail about his talks with Marcial, but stressed the collaboration is being done to promote the growing popularity of basketball in the Asian region.
The disclosure confirmed hints made by the PBA about a plan to hold games against its B.League counterparts.
“We are going to have games with the B.League of Japan,” PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas divulged during the unveiling of the league’s 50th anniversary logo back in March.
Incidentally, both the PBA and B.League are marking milestones when they open their respective new seasons late this year.
The PBA will be celebrating its golden anniversary in October, while the B.League will be commemorating its first decade of existence.
At the same time, both countries are observing the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan.
Okamoto also acknowledged the help extended by Filipino players seeing action as imports in the B.League to boost the popularity of the sport in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Eight Pinoy imports in Japan
Although the number of imports from the Philippines has gone down from 14 to eight, he acknowledged the Filipinos are actually competing at the highest level of basketball in Japan right now.
The Filipino players who remained in the B.League are Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, Matthew Wright, Bobby Ray Parks, Kiefer Ravena, AJ Edu, and Roosevelt Adams.
Ramos, Wright, Park, and Ravena are actually part of the B.League’s Final Week in Manila celebration.
Among the activities lined up for the rest of the week were the B. Hope Asia Jr. Basketball Clinic supervised by Parks and assisted by his deputy coach at Osaka Evessa, Shinji Tomiyama. Around 50 children made up of Filipino basketball club members and Japanese students participated.
Also up is the B. Hope Asia 3x3 Challenge that features a mixed-gender, three-player tournament to be graced by Wright, the shooting guard of the Kawasaki Brave Thunders.
Live viewing of Game 1 and 2 of the B.League finals between Ryukyu Golden Kings and Utsunomiya Brex will also be opened to the fans on a big screen for free, with Ramos of Levanga Hokkaido and Ravena of Yokohama B-Corsairs expected to be in attendance.
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