Dwane Lyndon Casey is an American basketball coach who most recently served as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons before transitioning to a front office position with the team. He is a former NCAA basketball player and coach, having played and coached there for over a decade before moving on to the NBA. He was previously the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Toronto Raptors, with whom he won the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 2018.
Utsunomiya Brex is a Japanese professional basketball team based in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. After winning the JBL 2 in 2008, the team played in the National Basketball League. Previous team names include: Tochigi Brex and Link Tochigi Brex.
The Akita Northern Happinets are a Japanese professional basketball team based in Akita that competes in the Eastern Conference of the First Division of the B.League. The team was formed as an expansion team of the bj league in 2010 and found success for the first time in 2013–14, finishing their fourth season as league runners-up. They went on to finish as runners-up for the second year in a row in 2014–15 and in third place in 2015–16, the final season of the bj league.
The National Basketball Development League (NBDL) was a professional basketball league based in Japan. It was a second-tier league below the National Basketball League and was formed in 2013 as the successor of JBL2, the second division of the former Japan Basketball League. After three seasons the league merged with the National Basketball League and its rival the bj-league to form the B.League.
CNA Arena Akita is an arena in Rinkai-area, Akita, Japan. It is owned and run by the city. Cable Networks Akita acquired its naming rights in 2015. The silver-colored building opened in 1994 and holds 5,000 people. The gym has a dome-shaped 154 feet height ceiling, and added 2,088 extra seatings in 2016. It is the home arena of the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League, Japan's professional basketball league. The biggest basketball court in Akita is Akita Prefectural Gymnasium.
Seiya Ando is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays for Shimane Susanoo Magic of the B.League in Japan. He plays as Playmaker and is a native of Tokyo.
Kenichi Takahashi, nicknamed Shocho, is a former Japanese professional basketball player and served for Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League as the ambassador. Takahashi is currently the instructor for Toreiku Katagami. He was selected by the Sendai 89ers with the third overall pick in the 2006 bj League draft. He has played for the four Tohoku clubs of the bj league. In October 2015 he became a one-day honorary police chief at the Akita Higashi Police Station. Since then a police officer salute has become popular among Akita's boosters. Takahashi studies NBA to improve his game, and he is an Air Jordan collector. His retirement memorial game was held at Akita Prefectural Gymnasium on October 29, 2017.
Shigehiro Taguchi, nicknamed Shige, is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan. He is a native of Akita prefecture and the most popular player in the "Republic of Pink". He might be the B.League's best current 3-point shooter, and has won the 3 point contest three times. Taguchi was a new captain of Happinets in 2016.
Nices Arena (ナイスアリーナ) is a multi-use indoor arena in Yurihonjo, Akita. Groundbreaking and construction began on March 18, 2016, and opened in October 2018. The arena's parking lot can hold 1,000 cars. Yurihonjo city introduced the Daktronics high-definition LED centerhung display for the second time in the prefecture. "EXPERIENCE THE DAKTRONICS DIFFERENCE" was the very first message on this HD video set. There is no ribbon displays and "see through" shot clocks. It is named after the supermarket Nices based in Akita city. The store pays JPY3.1 million annually for the naming rights.
Han Ho-gang is a Japanese-born South Korean football player. He plays for Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
Kadeem D'Arby Coleby, nicknamed KC, is a Bahamian professional basketball player who last played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan. He is the one of the league-leading skilled shot blockers. He fractured both kneecaps during the game on February 10, 2021.
Chas William McFarland is an American former professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the Japanese bj league. The 7-footer was the tallest Happinets player and took over the "air supremacy". He was kicked in head by Niigata forward Rodney Webb and broke his nose in March 2014.
E. J. Drayton is an American former professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the Japanese bj league.
Ricky Woods is an American former professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the Japanese bj league. On November 1, 2007, he was selected by the Idaho Stampede with the 29th overall pick in the 2007 NBA D-League draft.
The JR East Akita Peckers are a Japanese semi-professional basketball team based in Akita, Akita that competes in the Japan Industrial and Commercial Basketball Federation.
Ted Young is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Akita Isuzu Motors/Isuzu Lynx/Giga Cats of the Japan Basketball League.
Mototaka Kohama was a Japanese basketball Head coach for the Akita Isuzu Motors, Isuzu Motors Lynx/Giga Cats and Yokohama Giga Cats. He was known as the “Godfather of Japanese basketball,” and served as head coach of the Japan national basketball team three times. Growing up in Akita during WWII as a young boy, he was told to stop playing basketball because it was an American sport. The pioneer studied basketball coaching at the University of Kentucky.
2017 Blaublitz Akita season. The annual club slogan was "突". The team won the first J3 title on December 3, 2017
Hiroomote is a neighbourhood located in Akita City, Akita Prefecture, Japan. Annexed by the city in 1941, it borders the neighborhoods of Shimokitate on the east, Yanagida on the north, Tegata on the west and Sakura and Yokomori on the south that is bounded by Taihei River. Developed primarily in the post-World War II era, it is residential with commercial uses fronting prefectural roads #41, #28 and #62. The neighborhood is the location of the Akita University Hospital and Hiroomote Shopping Center.
Akita Bank Red Arrows is a Japanese women's basketball club based in Akita, Akita, playing in the Japan Industrial and Commercial Basketball Federation. They play their home games at the Akita Prefectural Gymnasium, located on the Yabase Sports Park.
