Sport & Design Blog: live from Tokyo, Japan!
Friday inspiration: Free Range Turkey
September 03 2010 Filed in: Hope 81
Met up with one of Japan’s top rock climbers recently, Yuji Hirayama. Watch his latest expedition to Turkey (climbing with the guys from camp4collective) and see how Yuji charges his mountains freestyle. He calls it ‘riding the stone’...amazing stuff.
Yuji also runs a local rock climbing park in Tokorozawa, Japan. If you live in the area and want to check out his Base Camp, drop Yuji an email for more info. From what we hear, Yuji and his crew will be going off for another big climb in China soon. Awesome work, man. Riders on the stone!
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Dreaming big @ Beijing 2008
Artwork by DUZZ: original project poster, featuring Yuki and Ume (Hope 81’s first Youth Sports Ambassadors)
Two years ago, we had a big dream of going to Beijing to see the Gold Medal Mens Basketball Game live. And we wanted to build some new friendship through streetball along the way. So with zero financial support and no tickets, we took a chance and went for it! The project was led by our two Youth Sports Ambassadors from Tokyo (Yuki and Ume). We worked with the Ribbon Magnet Group/MsDS, which helped out with our HIV Awareness campaign, plus a bunch of great local supporters in Beijing (Mark, More Free & CL Smooth Crew, all the ballers from Dong Dan, Di Tan Gun, and Chao Yang Park) and so many more people who stepped up and supported us behind the scenes. Here’s a look back at an incredible journey:
Our first trip to Beijing turned out to be a key starting point for our Sport for P.E.A.C.E. initiative, and set the stage for our other grassroots campaigns. A nice reminder that anything’s possible. Let’s keep dreaming big, Japan!
Sport for the Promotion of East Asian Community & Exchange
August 22 2010 Filed in: Hope 81 | Sport4PEACE
Sport for P.E.A.C.E. Initiative starts today!
Last month, to celebrate Mandela Day, we introduced our idea of launching a ‘sport for peace’ plan to help encourage reconciliation efforts in the East Asian region. Much the same way in which Nelson Mandela worked toward South African unification through rugby, the time has come to get the ball rolling for our own unification efforts here in East Asia. Here’s how we aim to do it:
AWARENESS BUILDING
It starts with growing more awareness about current/ongoing issues of post-war reconciliation for Japan, China and Korea. We’ve done some lengthy research on the subject over the past several years, trying to understand the root (and severity) of the conflict here. There’s a great article in today’s Japan Times which summarizes the present relationship between Japan and Korea, and developments in the post-war era. Timing the article to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the original conflict, the author offers some interesting suggestions about how government leaders might begin to move forward and reach a true sense of reconciliation. For those interested in learning more, there’s also a useful timeline which maps out Korean-Japanese relations in modern times.
FRAMEWORK
Here’s our suggestion: East Asian reconciliation is a massive and complex ordeal, and we know sport is not going to be a quick-fix remedy to the problem here. A solution will have to be drawn from a comprehensive and structured framework. One which starts with a basic goal of using the power of sport as a catalyst to bring people together. And with that, carefully mapping out a way to build more cooperation and begin to reconcile the past. Such a framework will need to involve regional members of academia, civil society and governments. The challenge is to get everyone across the spectrum involved, and orchestrate the exchange between top-level policymakers, grassroots communities, businesses and more. Our framework will rely on the common ‘language’ of sport, and English will be used as the base language for communicating general guidelines about the initiative, projects, agreements, declarations, etc. The end goal: grow an East Asian community and a culture of peace through sports-based exchange.
SUPPORT
On the 100th year anniversary of conflict, its time to reflect on the past and move forward with a new plan. We’ve made connections with a great network of sports-based organizations working outside the region, such as Peace & Sport, Right to Play, Peace Players International, and the UN Office of Sport for Development & Peace. These organizations are leading the way with sports programs and initiatives in key conflict zones around the world. Learning from current reconciliation initiatives and connecting with the global Sport for Development and Peace network will provide the support we need to establish our own Sport for P.E.A.C.E. initiative for East Asia. Of course, it needs to be grown here with a local support network of regional actors and stakeholders. If you’ve been following our efforts these past few years, you know we’ve been trying to adapt and work together with the interests of our local community. Now we’re ready to bridge the global support network with our regionally-based one at Hope 81.
GET INVOLVED!
If you’d like to learn more about our new initiative, please send us an email today! We’re looking to collaborate with academic researchers, web/media/communications specialists, and anyone with an interest in East Asian community-building & exchange.
Hoop dreaming: NBA's next big (or little) ticket?
August 21 2010 Filed in: Hope 81 | Rising Suns
NBA hopeful Yuta Tabuse of the JBL’s Tochigi Brex
Japan is ‘hoop dreaming’ more and more these days. The energy around basketball here in Tokyo is growing, and the excitement level is definitely rising-- from streetball all the way to the pro leagues. So what will it take for J-hoops stars to break through in the NBA? That question has been seriously played out around here, but outside Japan, who cares? Do NBA teams (and NBA Commissioner David Stern) look at us and wonder when we’ll find a way to step up and get our act together? Europe, Africa, South America, China...Iran......Japan? What’s the hold up? Seriously, what is it? One thing we know for sure, its not all about size. Pooh Jeter can attest to that. He’s a hard-working 5’11” point guard who just got signed with the Kings this summer. Inspiration for all Japan hoop dreamers out there. You really can make it...but how?
UNITED WE RISE
Perhaps the unification of the JBL and bj league in the coming years will help get more Japanese prospects into the media, and into the conversation for NBA scouts. Or not. We’ve got to grab the world’s attention and change perceptions about Japanese basketball. If and when the spotlight begins to shift toward Japan, we also need to have the ability to back it up. And how do we get our players ready for that?
We found an article yesterday from veteran sportswriter Fred Varcoe, which discusses some points about the nature of the beast: why Japanese hoop dreamers can’t breakthrough in the NBA. In the article, Tochigi Brex skills coach Mike Olson explains how some of his players have enough talent to make it, but something’s missing. The article hints that players need to start young and go attend university overseas. Sounds like a good idea, but try convincing a coach at a top university in Japan to send his team’s best player to the NCAAs and you’ll probably get a respectful “no thanks.”
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
We’ve got an idea about what that missing link might be, and we’ve been working to address it with our Rising Suns project these past couple of years at Quai 54 in Paris. Communication. Intercultural Communication, and lots of it. The NBA is all about marketing, and marketability of its players. If Tabuse was good at distributing the ball and getting everyone involved in the game, he needed to also be even better at giving interviews in English after the game. Unless your name is Yao and you’re a beast in the lane, Japan’s hoop dreamers of the future are going to have to break through with a ‘communications style’ that will sell tickets. It’s not MLB where you are up on the pitcher’s mound and reading sign language from your catcher, or doing interviews after the game with an interpreter. The NBA is a fast-paced, hands-on game where you’ve got to be in the flow, communicating on the fly, talking to refs, pumping up the crowd, engaging the audience. If Japan can learn to communicate better, both on and off the court, we might have the NBA’s next big (or little) ticket.
Get those communication skills up, and we’ll be talking to Mr. Stern soon enough.
Dennis Rodman's Last Game...EVER?
August 19 2010 Filed in: Hope 81 | Rising Suns
Dennis Rodman's Street 2 Elite 2010 tour is in Japan right now and everyone's buzzing to see The Worm's final run (according to Rodman’s twitter account yesterday, this will probably be his last time on the court).
S2E also features Ex-NBA veteran Tracy Murray and a bunch of stars from the old And1 tours-- now playing by the name of Ball Up. Don't forget, we've also got a few Rising Suns in the mix. From RS2009 team (M21) and RS2010 team (K-TA) will be there, along with several of our RS player pool members. All of the guys will be playing as part of an All-Star team from the Japanese streetball league Somecity.
Great to see some of our guys who didn't make it to Paris get the chance to showcase their skills on the big stage. It should be a nice honor to represent Japan against Rodman's squad. Hope Japan can hold it down and keep it competitive. Keep Rodman under 20 rebounds (and just try not to get posterized!)... Keep rising, Japan.
For info about the Street 2 Elite tour, tickets, etc. Go to www.street2elite.jp
The tour is organized by And1 and Sports Biz Japan.
Darin Maki in Los Angeles @ Staples!
D-Mak or D-Fish???
Rising Suns 2010 team leader Darin Satoshi Maki aka ‘Tru Ninja’ usually spends his off-seasons in LA-- working out, trying to perfect his game (read the full interview). In a recent blog post on darinsatoshimaki.com, Darin talks about his goal of emulating Lakers’ point guard Derek Fisher with his style of play. His stroke in this year’s Quai 54/Foot Locker Three-point Shootout, where finished just one shot away from the finals, would have made D-Fish proud.
So when Darin’s new team, the Tokyo Apache of Japan’s bj league, were invited to conduct a special walkthrough of the venue at the one and only home of the LA Lakers-- Staples Center, you know Darin was there. While Apache management looked to pick up some pointers about running their league games in Japan, D-Mak had a private workout under the lights at Staples. Any sighting of D-Fish in the hallways? From what we heard, he wasn’t around, but maybe we’ll get a chance to catch up with D-Fish another day. NBA All Star 2011 in LA?? Workin’ on it...
Here’s the Apache’s report (with some nice pics) just released yesterday. Looking forward to seeing some exciting home games this season here in Tokyo, and some clutch fourth quarter shooting ala D-fish!
CLOUD 9 PROJECT! Surfing & Farming in Tokyo
August 16 2010 Filed in: Hope 81 | Sport & Art
With Japanese O-Bon summer holidays last week, we had a chance to get away from the daily grind, refresh our minds, and grow some new inspiration for Hope 81. We’d been looking for an alternative to the usual summer beach hangouts, so our first journey to the Tokyo Islands was just what we needed. Here’s a little photo recap from Hope 81’s sport-art-innovation summit at Niijima, with our good friends of the Cloud 9 Project.
WELCOME TO NIIJIMA
The trip to Niijima Island was a blast, and challenging at times (the 2nd day, we had a mini-typhoon blow into our campground and wipe out all of our tents). We learned the hard way about Niijima’s weather. It can change really fast. What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger...
Free campgrounds, five minutes to the beach
All natural organic goodMorning breakfast @ Saro Cafe...slow life
One of “Tokyo’s 100 most scenic viewpoints”
A different planet, but still in Tokyo’s 23 wards...
This place is called the “Secret Beach” and it was awesome!
Time to get to work at Cloud 9 Farm
Pizza oven made from Niijima’s special island volcanic bricks (and our hands)
SPORT-ART-INNOVATION SUMMIT
With all the hanging out on secret beaches, farming, building pizza ovens, drinking at beachside bars, relaxing in hot springs with ocean views, you know we had some time to talk about our future vision for Hope 81 and Cloud 9. The trip ended with some great new plans-- which we hope will be coming together during the launch of our new website upgrade. Very, very soon!
ACCESS TO NIIJIMA
If you’re wondering how to get over to Niijima Island for your own private/business retreat, it’s just a two-hour jet boat ride (or overnight ferry on the cheap) from the Takeshiba pier. Hard to believe this place is still technically within Tokyo’s 23 wards. We’ll definitely be heading back for a few more surf-farm-campouts with Cloud 9, especially once they get that stone-fired pizza oven up and running! Thanks for giving us the chance to hang at the farm and get our hands dirty. Great to feel the life of a Niijima islander for a few (much needed) days away from the office. And all right here in a local paradise...
WELCOME TO NIIJIMA
The trip to Niijima Island was a blast, and challenging at times (the 2nd day, we had a mini-typhoon blow into our campground and wipe out all of our tents). We learned the hard way about Niijima’s weather. It can change really fast. What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger...
Free campgrounds, five minutes to the beach
All natural organic goodMorning breakfast @ Saro Cafe...slow life
One of “Tokyo’s 100 most scenic viewpoints”
A different planet, but still in Tokyo’s 23 wards...
This place is called the “Secret Beach” and it was awesome!
Time to get to work at Cloud 9 Farm
Pizza oven made from Niijima’s special island volcanic bricks (and our hands)
SPORT-ART-INNOVATION SUMMIT
With all the hanging out on secret beaches, farming, building pizza ovens, drinking at beachside bars, relaxing in hot springs with ocean views, you know we had some time to talk about our future vision for Hope 81 and Cloud 9. The trip ended with some great new plans-- which we hope will be coming together during the launch of our new website upgrade. Very, very soon!
ACCESS TO NIIJIMA
If you’re wondering how to get over to Niijima Island for your own private/business retreat, it’s just a two-hour jet boat ride (or overnight ferry on the cheap) from the Takeshiba pier. Hard to believe this place is still technically within Tokyo’s 23 wards. We’ll definitely be heading back for a few more surf-farm-campouts with Cloud 9, especially once they get that stone-fired pizza oven up and running! Thanks for giving us the chance to hang at the farm and get our hands dirty. Great to feel the life of a Niijima islander for a few (much needed) days away from the office. And all right here in a local paradise...
Big Hopes, Big Change!
If you want to see change, where do you begin? We started from...da-da-da-daaaa...a few sketches on a napkin in a restaurant back in 2007. Okay we admit, we didn’t exactly have a master plan, but as Tom Peters writes in his work, The Little Big Things (which we’ve found to be VERY helpful, thanks Tom!), sometimes we need to just work things out as we go...
(Tip #81 was our favorite. You know why...)
81. Big Change—All at Once!
The power of "getting going on everything at once" with but a sliver of a master plan (a couple of
"napkin" sketches) was that we could envision from the outset the vague outline of what was
going to (more or less) end up happening—thence we could adjust like crazy, improvise
constantly, destroy and create using the entire palette, and dramatically reshape the overall
work, and even the overall concept, as we went along. Which, of course, means we didn't really
reject my beloved Rapid Experimentation Method—we just did it on and amidst a Grand Platform
called "everything is in motion and up for grabs."
I'm not sure I'd do things, big things, this way in every instance, but I do think there are times
when such an "all at once" approach is merited—when you have a Big Idea but need to be living
"in the middle of it," with all ends loose ends, to figure out what it means.
On the two year anniversary of our Youth Sports Ambassadors trip to the Beijing Olympics, here’s a look back at how we turned BIG HOPES into real change:
We started learning the ropes with trips to the UN Sport for Development and Peace Ministerial Conference in Beijing, the International Peace & Sport Forum in Monaco (2008 & 2009), a Northeast Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, and Hope 81 Founder Jason Hutson’s guest lecture on sport for social change at Beijing Sports University...
We made our first original Youth Sports Ambassadors project back in 2008, exactly two years ago! (08.08.2008). Facilitating new exchange between Japanese and Chinese youth basketball communities at the Beijing 2008 Olympics...
We rallied Tokyo’s community of youth athletes, professional athletes, sporting goods store owners and more to donate hundreds of new and used out-of-season sportswear items with our “1 Assist” campaign. Then we delivered the sportswear all the way to the remote mountain jungle villages of Papua New Guinea’s Western Province...
Last but not least, we brought a team of Japan’s top basketball players to compete in the Quai 54 International Streetball Championships, held in Paris every summer. Introducing the first ever team from Asia on the main stage at this huge Michael Jordan-sponsored event, with the goal of helping Asian basketball rise...
We’ll have plenty of information to share on our new website (coming very soon!). Thanks to everyone out there for supporting our grassroots efforts these past two years. From Tokyo to PNG, Paris to Beijing... We’re lucky to be surrounded by so many active and creative volunteers and wouldn’t be here without all of your contributions. Lets keep it up!
(Tip #81 was our favorite. You know why...)
81. Big Change—All at Once!
The power of "getting going on everything at once" with but a sliver of a master plan (a couple of
"napkin" sketches) was that we could envision from the outset the vague outline of what was
going to (more or less) end up happening—thence we could adjust like crazy, improvise
constantly, destroy and create using the entire palette, and dramatically reshape the overall
work, and even the overall concept, as we went along. Which, of course, means we didn't really
reject my beloved Rapid Experimentation Method—we just did it on and amidst a Grand Platform
called "everything is in motion and up for grabs."
I'm not sure I'd do things, big things, this way in every instance, but I do think there are times
when such an "all at once" approach is merited—when you have a Big Idea but need to be living
"in the middle of it," with all ends loose ends, to figure out what it means.
On the two year anniversary of our Youth Sports Ambassadors trip to the Beijing Olympics, here’s a look back at how we turned BIG HOPES into real change:
We started learning the ropes with trips to the UN Sport for Development and Peace Ministerial Conference in Beijing, the International Peace & Sport Forum in Monaco (2008 & 2009), a Northeast Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, and Hope 81 Founder Jason Hutson’s guest lecture on sport for social change at Beijing Sports University...
We made our first original Youth Sports Ambassadors project back in 2008, exactly two years ago! (08.08.2008). Facilitating new exchange between Japanese and Chinese youth basketball communities at the Beijing 2008 Olympics...
We rallied Tokyo’s community of youth athletes, professional athletes, sporting goods store owners and more to donate hundreds of new and used out-of-season sportswear items with our “1 Assist” campaign. Then we delivered the sportswear all the way to the remote mountain jungle villages of Papua New Guinea’s Western Province...
Last but not least, we brought a team of Japan’s top basketball players to compete in the Quai 54 International Streetball Championships, held in Paris every summer. Introducing the first ever team from Asia on the main stage at this huge Michael Jordan-sponsored event, with the goal of helping Asian basketball rise...
We’ll have plenty of information to share on our new website (coming very soon!). Thanks to everyone out there for supporting our grassroots efforts these past two years. From Tokyo to PNG, Paris to Beijing... We’re lucky to be surrounded by so many active and creative volunteers and wouldn’t be here without all of your contributions. Lets keep it up!
Hope 81 Interview with Tru Ninja!
Darin Satoshi Maki the Tru Ninja himself... (bottom right side) sneakin’ up on CP3 during the Quai 54 tourney.
Here’s a special interview with our Rising Suns team leader Darin Satoshi Maki, who talks about his experiences at Quai 54, life in the offseason, and his big return to the Tokyo Apache this year. Thanks for working on this with us, D-MAK!
How was Paris? How did it feel to represent Japan? Are you ready to lead the Rising Suns' back to Quai 54 with a stronger team next year?
Paris was an awesome experience! I knew going into the tournament that these cats could really play, if you know basketball then you know what the QUAI 54 is all about. It was the first time I actually repped Japan and it felt pretty cool, people didn't know we could ball out here. I repped USA before back in the day but something about repping your motherland is different, even if it was only a streetball tourney. Going out to Paris, I knew it was going to be a tough tournament for us to advance. We were going up against a lot of pro and national team players so my goal was to play hard and make a statement. I had this notion that peeps thought that our team was the best we had in Japan... Let me just say, no way! we got some cats that can really play! For next year, if I can help select players for the Japan team, I think we can really make a splash. Really looking forward to playing next year in the Jordan sponsored, biggest streetball tournament in the world, QUAI 54.
What have you been up to lately in LA, and how do you work on your game in the offseason? Venice Beach? Westwood/UCLA runs? Weightroom? Got any secrets you mind sharing with our young Rising Suns out there?
Since I've been back in L.A, I have been doing the usual stuff, training and keeping in touch with all my peoples. This time of the year is really special for me because I get to see my family and friends. It is also a crucial time of the year to work on your game. I have been in the gym working on my strength and basketball skills with some of my best friends, who also happen to play pro as well. Just a couple of the guys and a trainer, get in and get out. People always ask, "where you playin ball at?" Well to tell you the truth I don't get as much 5 on 5 action during the summer. One thing is I do not want to get injured, and also I like to focus on skill work and the little stuff. NO BAD HABITS! So I am sorry to break your hearts about this big myth that we all ball together during the summer at a secret location, BUT...when all the pro and college cats get together you know we get it in lol.
Do I have any advice for the young, future superstars out there? I say work on your skills as much as possible and add a little something to your arsenal every off-season. Don't play ball just to play ball either. I know we all love the game but you must practice with a purpose. You can play pick-up ball 5 hours a day and pick up more bad habits than the guy who goes an hour and a half hard on his skillwork. Everybody is athletic, can run and jump right? Maybe the next guy just a little bit more than you, so what is going to set yourself apart from him? The guy who plays in front of you? Outworking him. Put in the work and the results will show, don't expect quick results because there are none. Everytime you are lazy, imagine your opponent shooting 1000 jump shots, running hills,etc. You gotta be hungry.
TYO! You recently got signed by the Tokyo Apache, which is YOUR old neighborhood (and OUR Hope 81 hood, too). How did you get the deal done? And are you excited to play under new Apache coach Bob Hill?
It feels great to be back with the Tokyo Apache. I had a busy off-season as a free agent and wanted to find a team before I came back to L.A for the summer. There were a few teams interested and I had turned down a GREAT offer from another team. One thing is, I had unfinished business to take care of. I have been to the BJ-League finals twice and lost while a member of the Apache. It still stings to this day and I feel we have a great chance to get back to the finals and take the whole thing. What intrigued me was the new ownership of the team and the new coach. Evolution Capital Management, an American company, had purchased the team and from my early talks with them, I knew they were going to steer this team in the right direction. Having coach Bob Hill sign on was just as big, he is a seasoned NBA coach who brings immediate clout to our team and league. I worked out with him and his staff last month in Dallas and he is legit! From the first day to the last day, I already saw huge improvements in all our games, imagine what he can do in 1 season?
I am very excited about the forthcoming season, if you want to see what I'm up to, follow me on twitter and check out my homepage.
www.twitter.com/BELLOBLOCK
www.darinsatoshimaki.com
1ove, D-MAK
Make Something @ World Basketball Festival (NYC)
August 04 2010 Filed in: Hope 81 | Sport & Art
Make Something is a series of creative art/design workshops for youth now being held during the World Basketball Festival in New York City. Sport and Art mixed with summertime in the NYC. Inspiration is flowing!! We’re ready to make something, how about you??
Love this poster-making class especially (pictured above), and wish we could be there ourselves to learn a few tips for some new Hope 81 posters. This video gave us a quick look at how to get the job done right -- with poster design teacher Andrew Jeffrey Wright. Great job with the kids, Andrew!
The month-long Make Something workshop schedule (July 12- Aug. 17) has lots of really cool stuff for kids to get involved in. Things like
flag & banner making
documentary photo & video lessons
mural design
shoe & ball design
All of the work will be featured on display during the World Basketball Festival events, games, tournaments, etc. An empowering experience for the kids (and Nike, too!). Who knows, maybe they will discover the next great shoe design idea and we’ll be wearing them on the streets of Tokyo someday...
If you are in the NYC area, you may still have time to get involved. Check the workshop schedule and contact the MS organizers for more info. And more info on the hoops events available on the Nike World Basketball Festival site.
Pacific Pedal Life Design: Opening Party!
July 31 2010 Filed in: Hope 81
Pacific Pedal Life Design is an Asian Pacific bicycle/lifestyle/design group of about 70 cycle enthusiasts based in Tokyo, and produced by Hope 81’s very own creative director-- Teruo Kurosaki. Last night PPDL kicked things off at Tokyo Midtown Design Hub for their first exhibition, which features about 90 different types of bicycles and a ton of bike-related artwork, design elements, etc. Its an awesome, one-of-a-kind collection of classic Olympic racing bikes to futuristic fusion hybrids like this square one above. There’s also a huge, wall-sized mural featuring a photo collection of bicycle workers from around the world. The bikes are arranged into groups, to represent different themes of bicycle culture...What’s your pleasure?
This is sport and art at its best. Great show, guys! PPDL’s work will be on display for the next month here in Tokyo, so get down to Midtown and check it out if you can.
Go to the PPDL Homepage for more info/access to the event
Who's #1 in Tokyo? Streetball Tournament
July 30 2010 Filed in: Hope 81
All Day Streetball Tournament (Tokyo)
07.31 ~ 08.1.2010
Summer basketball in Tokyo, Japan! 56 teams getting ready to fight for the 23rd All Day championship this weekend. We’ve got a few of our Rising Suns in the tournament, guys like RS2010 team captain Shuji Takei (a.k.a. ST) with team Underdog, and Keita Suzuki (K-TA) with F Squad. We’ll be cheering for a bunch of guys from our Rising Suns player pool as well, all going for the championship with their local club teams. And hey, there’s also a “Cat Fight” girls streetball tournament going on. The girls’ teams have really started to hold it down lately, so we’re looking forward to watching those games for sure! Good luck to all the teams, and get that W.
For more info about team registration, videos, etc., go to the All Day site
Keep rising, Japan!
Basketball without Borders: ASIA TOUR
July 28 2010 Filed in: Hope 81 | Rising Suns
Earlier this month, Basketball without Borders completed its first-ever Southeast Asian event with NBA players Trevor Ariza, Kyle Korver, Al Horford and others visiting Singapore for clinics and games to help Asian youth basketball player development. The BWB activities are co-organized by FIBA and the NBA Players Association, with additional sponsorship from local businesses, apparel brands, etc.
As reported on FIBA’s site:
“The top 50 players from 22 countries across Asia - as selected by FIBA and participating federations - will come together to train under NBA and FIBA players and coaches and compete against their peers.
"It is a great pleasure to visit Singapore for the first time," said Patrick Bauman, Secretary General, FIBA and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). "The interest in sports - particularly basketball - is growing rapidly over there and we are confident that through Basketball without Borders we can help further that growth, thereby allowing young basketball talents to maximise their potential both on and off the court."
We’ve already approached some FIBA representatives about the possibility of bringing a Basketball without Borders event to Japan, and the question is not as simple as it may seem. Generally, it would take a huge effort by Japanese basketball officials, media and local grassroots organizations to rally the kind of interest FIBA needs to bring the BWB here. So with that, we’ll just keep working on it from our end, and do whatever we can to make it happen... One exciting note for J-hoops at this year’s event: Japan had two youth basketball players make the trip to BWB Singapore. Hopefully they are bringing back some great stories which they can share with friends and teammates. We know from our Rising Suns trip to Paris, these opportunities help grow our ‘collective hoop dream’. Keep growing, keep rising!
If you’re interested, check out the complete 2010 FIBA/NBA BWB Asia Camp Roster:
Coaches: Trevor Ariza (Rockets), Corey Brewer (Timberwolves), Francisco Garcia (Kings), Al Horford (Hawks), Taj Gibson (Bulls), Gene Keady, Bob McAdoo, Don Newman, Joe Wolf, Gregg Farnam, Dean Cooper
Australia — Corey Maynard, Tom Daly, Chris Patton, Josh Wilcher, Jan Warbout
China — Tao Hanlin, Wang Yingliang, Zhang Dayu, Cao Fei, Xiaokelaiti Azati
Chinese Taipei — Hung Kang-Chiao, Chen Ying-Chun
India — Somvir Somvir, Sunny Raut, Satnam Singh
Indonesia — Dewah Wiratno
Iran — Amir Sedighi, Arman Zangeneh, Ghahraman Omari, Meisam Mirzaei Talarposhti, Farshad Kharazmi
Japan — Yuya Nagayoshi, Tenketsu Harimoto
Jordan — Ahmad Dwairi, Ahmed Nofal
Kazakhstan — Dmitriy Tsoy, Shaim Kuanov, Vadim Chsherbak
Korea — Kim Jihoo, Bae Sooyone, Kim Nakhyeon, Lee Juhyeong
Kyrgyzstan — Alexsandr Adeikin, Evgenii Pekhov
Lebanon — Constantin Kodsi, Karam Mechref
New Zealand — Jordan Ngatai, Christopher Duthie
Philippines — Mario Emmanuel Bonleon, Gian Carlo Go
Qatar — Abduallah Shaher Matalkeh
Singapore — Fong Jia Jun, Ng Zhao Feng, Larry Liew
Turkmenistan — Muradberdy Bazarbayev
UAE — Omer Khalid Faqqas Omar Al Ameri, Qais Omar Al Shabebi
Uzbekistan — Denis Timofeev
Vietnam — Le Dat
Rising Suns in the News: Japan Times
July 23 2010 Filed in: Hope 81 | Rising Suns
Here’s an excerpt from ‘Hoops Scoop’ writer Ed Odeven’s story about basketball player development in the Japan Times today...thanks, Ed! (And don’t be confused by the title of the article...we’re just spreading love for the game. Hope 81 has no religious mission, affiliations, etc.)
Friday, July 23, 2010
BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Players spread gospel in summertime
By ED ODEVEN
Staff writer
...Overseas basketball trips are another aspect of a sport with no true off-season. Darin Satoshi Maki, formerly of the Tokyo Apache and Oita HeatDevils, stayed busy last month while suiting up for the Rising Suns, a streetball team organized by Hope 81, a nonprofit grassroots organization involved in "basketball development, global poverty relief and environmental sustainability," according to its Web site.
The capable floor leader, one of the top defensive guards in the five-year history of the bj-league, played for the Rising Suns in the Quai 54 streetball tournament in Paris.
"Maki was definitely attracting a lot of attention during our trip to Paris, knocking down shot after shot in the 3-point point shootout — finishing just one point away from the finals — then called on to help Quai 54 Dunk Contest Champion Guy Dupuy for his final dunk attempt, and being selected as a featured interview for the official Quai 54 DVD," said Jason Hutson, an American expatriate who serves as a Rising Suns player, coach and organizer. "I think this experience helped him gain some visibility, especially outside Japan."
Hutson also believes Maki, a free agent, would be a welcome addition for a bj-league club in the immediate future.
"As a top point guard in Asia over the past 10 years in China, Japan and Vietnam, the 'Tru Ninja' definitely has a lot to offer teams in the bj-league, especially those looking for veteran leadership and someone who can control the ball, set the tempo, etc.," said Hutson. "He's a 'Derek Fisher' kind of player, someone who doesn't turn the ball over and can knock down clutch shots.
"Now after Paris, the challenge is to make sure people know about his efforts (for us in Paris) here in Japan. . ."
The Rising Suns' 2010 squad also featured center Antoine Broxsie, who led the bj-league in blocked shots last season while playing for the Takamatsu Five Arrows, and Apache forward Kenji Hilke.
Check out the complete article in the Japan Times. And follow Ed Odeven’s Hoop Scoop column, to keep up with all the latest news in the Japanese pro leagues.
New Quai 54 2010 Trailer: Jordan Outdoor Video
July 22 2010 Filed in: Hope 81 | Rising Suns
Check out the new Quai 54 2010 video on Jordan Outdoor, with our guy Darin Maki a.k.a. Tru Ninja-- representing the Rising Suns 2010 squad!
A lot of the footage in the clip is shot by videographer/basketball film documentarist Kevin Couliau, who we got to know during our practice game with George Eddy in Paris. Thanks for all your hard work, and helping us get Japan on the basketball map!