Sport & Design Blog: live from Tokyo, Japan!
Rising Suns in the News: Japan Times
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.
'Uprising' for J-Hoops: DAY 11
We had our first scrimmage last night against a great local club team Giga Spirits. Before the game, I talked briefly with Giga’s head coach, Koyama-san. Really nice guy, and very kind of him to arrange a game for us before we hit Paris. Like the Rising Suns, his team is working on grassroots player development for Japanese hoops. And from what I hear, Giga Spirits have been holding down as the #1 team in Kanagawa for a while. Here’s a look at how we handled our first RS2010 exhibition game:
- The Giga three-point attack had us on our heels most of the first half. We found ourselves down by double-digits at one point.
- Before the game, I reminded our Rising Suns that it was our first chance to run as a team, and that the offense might not come yet. The main things we could do as a team were to play strong defense and rebound the basketball. And that’s exactly what we did.
- We forced 20 turnovers, and out-rebounded our smaller opponents, 40-20.
- To hang tough, and battle back against a quality team like that was a positive way to start things off.
- I know we wont see a team shoot 30 threes in a game in Paris, but at least we tested our will to win last night, and got to know each other a lot more.
After the game, I was thinking about the work Koyama-san is doing with Giga Spirits, and all the other local clubs running a similar kind of system for basketball player development here in Japan. There’s dozens (or hundreds?) of clubs, groups, teams, organizations, companies, agencies, media etc. all looking to grow basketball in Japan. Here’s some of the one’s which I’ve gotten to know and work with personally...in no particular order:
ALL DAY
SOMECITY
LEGENDS
HOOP IN THE HOOD
GYMRATS
8 LEAGUE
JAPAN SPORTS REVOLUTION (JSR)
HOOP HYSTERIA
FIVE STAR
NKS-405
FOR GAME
JAPAN BASKETBALL ACADEMY
BALL TONGUE CAFE
ED ODEVEN/JAPAN TIMES
I honestly believe this could be the structure of a new uprising in J-Hoops. With so many people organizing for action on all different levels, the next step is now for our Rising Suns team to get the win in Paris -- and then bring the global spotlight to focus on Japan’s rising basketball culture. This journey to Paris is for all J-players, streetballers, kids at the park, NBA dreamers, coaches, scouts, agents, league officials,JABBA federation heads, and Mr. Aso himself. The UPRISING is here and we’re not going away quietly...so let us know if you’d like to collaborate, from wherever you are.
Tonight, I’ll be heading down to the Somecity event Da Bash! in Kawasaki/Club Citta, to watch a few of our guys (Lono, Micky, K-TA and Kenji) represent the RS2010 squad against some local street teams. Then tomorrow, Rising Suns team captain ST will return to his old neighborhood for the Legends Stage 3 streetball event. Support the team, and support the community. Should be a fun weekend. Altogether, we are the Uprising.
***Remember: this Sunday night 6/13 @ Smoke in Harajuku, we will hold our annual party for the Rising Suns team trip to Paris. Please come have fun, and help us raise the remaining funds we need to get there***
ジェイソン
RS2010
More than a Game
Watch this trailer about Lebron James and his rise to the top of the basketball world. Well, almost...he’s still waiting to get that first championship ring in the NBA, but no doubt he’ll get there one day. The documentary looks at the game of basketball as a way to move up through adversity, and build positive relationships in life, family, business, and everything else. Many of us have been inspired to work toward a better life from a basic passion for the game. In that sense, the movie really hits home on many levels. Basketball is part of the inspiration behind Hope 81, as well.
Now we know that playing professional basketball is a common dream for kids all over the world. And we know many of our young players here in Japan are fighting to reach the top. What the world may not realize is that basketball is one of, if not the most popular sports in Japan. The media here doesn’t make a big deal about it though, unfortunately. Basketball is one of the most heavily played and least heavily watched Japanese sports. Maybe one easy solution is to do more grassroots videos and utilize social media to promote Japan’s hoop scene. The Clutch Times online news source is doing its part to promote the sport, and guys like Ed Odeven at the Japan Times are doing theirs, day in and day out. But maybe we need a 24-hour hoops channel, streaming all access footage, interviews, and just pumping up the game, period. Pushing players to reach for their dreams, because if anything, they will know someone is watching and their performance matters. Lebron and his high school team were being watched by ESPN, Sports Illustrated, NBA scouts, at 17 years old...and look how they responded.
I guess in order to have that kind of ‘media push’ on real TV, it will take a breakthrough Japanese player dominant enough to stick in the NBA. Watching this movie should just make Japanese players hungrier for that moment of their own, shouldn’t it? This summer, we’ll have a chance to show the world how hungry our 2010 Rising Suns team members are, at the QUAI 54 International Streetball Championships in Paris.
And don’t forget, we’ve got our own story going here in Tokyo.
Look out for our complete RS2009 documentary DVD, available this spring!
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