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Japan Forward
4 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
MLB Stars Ohtani and Suzuki Wielding Powerful Bats
Reporting on MLB sluggers Shohei Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki, the upcoming participation of the Utsunomiya Brex in Asia's Basketball Champions League and more. Shohei Ohtani (left) and Seiya Suzuki (©KYODO; GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO) Heading into the weekend of May 30-June 1, Japanese sluggers Shohei Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki lead MLB in two of baseball's most significant batting statistics ― home runs and RBIs, respectively. Ohtani, a three-time MVP (twice with the Los Angeles Angels in the American League and the reigning winner in the National League), is No 1 in Major League Baseball with 20 home runs. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar bashed his latest homer on May 27 against the Cleveland Guardians, a two-out, two-run blast in the fourth inning. LA won 9-5. Reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani (Brad Penner/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) In May, Ohtani has hit 13 homers, reminding everyone that his power display in 2024 (54 round-trippers) was no fluke. And twice this month, he's homered in three consecutive games. His 20th homer was also noteworthy from a historical context because he became only the third Dodger to slug at least 20 round-trippers in the team's first 55 games. The others: Cody Bellinger (20 in 2019) and Gil Hodges (21 in 1951). Chicago Cubs star Suzuki, who is batting .273, leads MLB with 51 RBIs. He also has 14 homers. Suzuki was 11-for-27 in his last seven games, including four homers and eight RBIs. In May, he's hit seven homers and amassed 26 RBIs. Suzuki was named NL Player of the Week on May 26. And what a week it was for Suzuki, who batted .480 with three homers and four doubles in six games from May 19-25. He also drove in 10 runs in that span. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is impressed with Suzuki's continued growth as a hitter. "His ability to hit and to continue to develop hitting premium velocity has been really important," Hoyer said, according to "I just see a guy that's more aggressive both in demeanor and also in counts. He was a little bit more passive at the plate before. He's got guys on base and he's looking to do damage, and he has." Chicago Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki bats against the Colorado Rockies on May 27 at Wrigley Field. (GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO) Now in his fourth season with the Cubs, Suzuki is striving to be a productive player. For the most part, he's pleased with his play of late on offense. "I don't know if I can say it's the best [stretch of my career]," Suzuki said through an interpreter, reported. "But I feel like I've been doing really well. Obviously, I'm going to have moments where the performance isn't as good, and I'll talk to the coaches and see what adjustments I need to make. But I'm happy with how it's gone so far." The Utsunomiya Brex, the 2024-25 champions, celebrate their title-clinching win on May 27 at Yokohama Arena. (KYODO) After winning the title on Tuesday, May 27, the Utsunomiya Brex celebrated their glorious achievement. But their offseason has not yet begun. The Brex will participate in the Basketball Champions League Asia, which will be held June 7-13 in Dubai. It will consist of eight nations' domestic champions plus the winner of the FIBA West Asia Super League. East Asian representatives include the Meralco Bolts (Philippines), the Changwon LG Sakers (South Korea) and the Zhejiang Lions (China). First-round action will feature three groups, with round-robin competition in each group. Finals: Utsunomiya Rallies Past Ryukyu to Capture the Title Following the Ryukyu Golden Kings' 73-71 loss to the Brex in Game 3 of the Finals, veteran forward Vic Law shared his thoughts on the team's disappointing finish. Law's shot on the last play of the game was blocked, ending the possibility of overtime. "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened," Law wrote on Twitter. "Heartbroken we couldn't win the championship but extremely proud of our team. No one believed we could make it there and we proved everyone wrong. Thank you to everyone who supported us along the way." The Golden Kings reached the championship round for the fourth consecutive season, an unprecedented streak since the was launched in 2016. Hiroki Yanagita (center) wins the men's 100-meter final at the Asian Athletics Championships on May 28 in Gumi, South Korea. (KYODO) Four Japan national team representatives have secured gold medals at the ongoing Asian Athletics Championships (May 27-31) in Gumi, South Korea. As of Friday, May 30, Japan's event winners are Hiroki Yanagita in the men's 100 meters (10.20 seconds, a season-best time), Kazuto Iizawa in the men's 1,500 (3:42.56, a personal-best time), Paris Olympian Rachid Muratake in the men's 110-meter hurdles (13.22 seconds), and Nanako Matsumoto in the women's 400 (52.17 seconds, a personal-best mark). Yanagita, a 21-year-old athlete, had mixed feelings about his performance in the men's 100. "I did manage to win consecutive victories [at the Asian Athletics Championships], but I wasn't satisfied with the results," Yanagita was quoted as saying by the Tokyo Broadcasting System website. He added, "I was hoping that I could win consecutive victories by breaking the participation standard for the Tokyo World Athletics Championships (10.00 seconds). But I'm disappointed that I couldn't break the standard I had in mind the most." For Matsumoto, her triumph in South Korea was satisfying. "Winning a competition that I entered with the goal of winning gives me a lot of confidence," the 28-year-old said, according to TBS. ASICS' New Marathon Shoe Weighs Only 129 Grams Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Adroit's ex-internationals hope Singapore basketball can rise despite baptism of fire in regional tourney
Adroit's Ng Han Bin taking a shot in the 105-65 loss to New Taipei Kings in their Basketball Champions League Asia - East Group B game in Taiwan on April 29. PHOTO: FIBA SINGAPORE – Midway through the first quarter of their game against New Taipei Kings on April 29, Singapore's National Basketball League (NBL) champions Adroit were leading 14-10, with Leon Kwek grabbing seven points. Their brief lead during their opening Basketball Champions League Asia-East Group B match in Xinzhuang Gymnasium, Taiwan, brought back memories of a time when professional basketball in Singapore existed and flourished with the Singapore Slingers. Alas, despite featuring several former Slingers like Jay Shay Lin, Ng Han Bin, Toh Qing Huang and Kwek, Adroit remain an amateur side training just once a week to face professionals. The local players met imports Ihor Serheiev, Sergeii Pryimak and Oleksandr Kolchenko for the first time on match day, eventually losing 105-65 to the Taiwan Professional Basketball League leaders. Adroit coach Ng Choon Hong said: 'We are not a professional team, so we train very little and it's hard to compare with the opponents, whose stamina is very good and shooting is very sharp.' Kwek, who registered a team-high 18 points and five rebounds, added: 'Once everyone settles into the game, the team chemistry, habits and structure come into play and that's where the Kings showed the difference. 'We just want to showcase how Singaporeans can play at the international stage even though many of us have retired from the national team. I feel for the younger generation, because they need to have something to work towards and this is the challenge for Singapore basketball to navigate and get there.' In 2023, the Asean Basketball League stopped play indefinitely after 14 years, leaving the Slingers in dormancy. Since then, the only regular competition local basketballers could get was the NBL. Adroit's victory in the domestic league in 2024 earned them a spot in the Champions League Asia-East, giving the players more game time. Ng, who scored 15 points and six rebounds against the Taiwanese side, hopes something can be done for the next generation of Singapore players. The 36-year-old personal wealth director said: 'For the Slingers to work, we required the sponsorship from Mr Wee (Siew Kim, former Slingers owner), (former general manager) Michael Johnson being away from his country for so long to run the show, coach Neo (Beng Siang) coaching selflessly, and the players putting in the time and hard work. 'Now, there are academies run by former national players like (Wong) Wei Long, Leon, Larry (Liew), (Wong) Zhong Han and Kelvin (Lim). I believe with the help of the authorities, they will be open to work together to create a pipeline for the younger generation. 'If we really want to build a professional pathway, the focus must be on the young players from age 10-14 so we can give ourselves some time to build something together.' While pursuing careers off the court, the ex-internationals still aim to perform well in the BCL Asia-East tournament, featuring eight clubs from East and Southeast Asia. The top two teams from each group reach the semi-finals, with the best two advancing to the Basketball Champions League Asia. In a double round-robin format, Adroit will face Thailand's Hi-Tech and Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos in Bangkok on May 2 and 3. They're playing home games there as no suitable venue in Singapore met Fiba's seating and broadcast standards, and the OCBC Arena was unavailable. Kwek, the 28-year-old founder of True Grind Basketball academy, said: 'The main challenge will be in the logistics and we have to figure out a lot of things on the fly, but the Thai counterparts have been very helpful. We know it's going to be tough, but we want to give a good account of ourselves and go for a win.' David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New York Times
27-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Adam Silver to pitch NBA owners on new European pro league: How it might look, who could join
By Joe Vardon, Adam Crafton and Mike Vorkunov Commissioner Adam Silver will pitch the NBA Board of Governors his early sketches of a plan to start a new pro basketball league in Europe as early as 2026, sources with direct knowledge of Silver's deliberations with potential stakeholders told The Athletic. Advertisement The venture could include 16 teams, deep-pocketed investors, some defectors from the established EuroLeague and new franchises in major markets like Paris and London. Silver is set to present to the NBA Board of Governors in New York on Thursday after months of preliminary talks with existing European club teams, potential investors — including owners of mega soccer franchises on the continent — and FIBA, the international governing body for basketball that would be Silver's partner in a new league. There are no deals yet between the NBA and, well, anyone, two high-placed league officials told The Athletic. Silver is, essentially, looking for permission from his bosses (the NBA's 30 owners) to move forward in making a new league happen. 'The process is just beginning,' one high-ranking NBA official said. Though planning is still in its early stages, Silver's effort has advanced enough for Andreas Zagklis, secretary general of FIBA, who is based just outside of Geneva, to travel to New York for the board of governors' meeting. Zagklis is not expected to be a part of Silver's initial presentation, but will be able to answer governors' questions. Asked for comment, NBA spokesman Mike Bass issued this statement: 'At this week's NBA Board of Governors meeting, the league will report on its exploration of a new men's basketball league in Europe, in partnership with FIBA.' Silver and the NBA have been building up to this for months. He spent several days in Paris in January meeting with potential stakeholders in the league and people across European basketball. Afterward, he said the league's March board meeting would prove decisive in the league's path forward. No vote is expected Thursday, but if Silver gets approval to continue, his new European league would include a mix of rights-holding franchises and slots for teams to play their way in by performing well in their national league or FIBA's Basketball Champions League. Advertisement The league's funding model would be expected to include league ownership stakes for team investors, sources involved in the discussions said, but a high-ranking NBA official called recent reports of a $500 million buy-in to the new league 'pure speculation.' Sources on both sides of the Atlantic with knowledge of the NBA's early talks are watching four existing EuroLeague franchises — Real Madrid, Barca Barcelona, ASVEL Basket of Villeurbanne, of which former NBA superstar Tony Parker is team president, and Fenerbahçe Istanbul — as potential defectors to Silver's league. Parker did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment, and neither did a EuroLeague official. A new team could emerge in the Paris market, owned by the Qatari Investment Authority, which owns soccer giant Paris Saint-Germain, according to a source close to PSG. The 2024 Olympic host city already counts as its own Paris Basketball, which plays in the French national league and the EuroLeague, and has home games at both of the city's large basketball arenas. 'QSI has been approached with regards to a basketball franchise in Paris in relation to which we have expressed an interest,' a spokesman for the Qatari Investment Authority said. The NBA is considering placing franchises in other major markets across Europe, including in cities where current pro franchises already exist, like London, Manchester, Berlin and Munich. The London market, or more broadly, the United Kingdom, is another place where the NBA could attract big soccer dollars from Middle Eastern sovereign funds. Manchester City's multi-billion-dollar soccer franchise is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, through the Abu Dhabi United Group out of the United Arab Emirates. The chairman of Manchester City is another Emirati, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, whose brother, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, runs the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. Advertisement The Al Mubarak family has expressed interest in NBA ownership, though sovereign wealth funds currently cannot own more than 20 percent of any NBA franchise. A new basketball league in Europe would face immediate competition from the EuroLeague, widely considered the second-best basketball competition in the world after the NBA. The NBA tried to partner with the EuroLeague in the past, but the EuroLeague rejected those advances, according to multiple NBA and EuroLeague sources briefed on the conversations. The EuroLeague is in a state of uncertainty as European basketball executives wonder how the NBA would impact its future. For years, FIBA and the existing EuroLeague have clashed over issues ranging from the scheduling of national team events during EuroLeague seasons to how the continental league is run. Silver, meanwhile, has long been interested in European soccer and has cited an untapped marketing potential for basketball on the continent. While the economics of European basketball are not considered to be strong, and the NBA could enter a potentially fragmented marketplace, Silver has been bullish about its chances. 'I recognize there's enormous history and tradition here in European basketball, and we want to respect those traditions,' Silver said in Paris in January. 'Obviously, the United States is used to closed leagues; Europe is used to open leagues with promotion, regulation, et cetera. So we're looking at all those facets. 'But having had this long history from our operation of sports leagues, largely in the United States and a little bit elsewhere, seeing what's happened in Europe, not just in basketball but in soccer, as well, it gives us the opportunity to say, all right, let's take a fresh look; what are the most effective practices for creating a commercially viable league.'
