author

 
 
Ed Odeven
Ed Odeven covers primarily basketball for The Japan Times. He reported on a wide range of sports from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Summer Games for this newspaper. A native of the Bronx, N.Y., Odeven is a graduate of Arizona State University. He previously worked for the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff, Ariz., reporting on high school, collegiate, professional and Olympic sports (Flagstaff is a major international Olympic training site due to its high elevation) and writing a weekly column. His articles have appeared in Venezuela Online News, The Gleaner (Jamaica), the Monitor (Uganda), The Moscow Times, Swimming World Magazine and numerous other publications.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 15, 2014
Ryukyu strong bet for return to final
During the six seasons in which franchise cornerstones Jeff Newton and Anthony McHenry have teamed up to lead the Ryukyu Golden Kings to extraordinary success, the Okinawan powerhouse is the undisputed model franchise for the bj-league.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 12, 2014
Streaking Grouses advance to first Final Four
Maybe 13 is a lucky number after all.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 11, 2014
Toyama, Akita advance to Final Four for first time; Ryukyu, Kyoto also earn spots
Maybe 13 is a lucky number after all.
BASKETBALL
May 10, 2014
Ryukyu thrashes Hamamatsu in Game 1
The Ryukyu Golden Kings resembled a demolition crew on Saturday afternoon.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 8, 2014
West powers Ryukyu, Kyoto favored in second round
Since rising to elite status and winning a championship in the 2008-09 campaign in their second season of existence, the Ryukyu Golden Kings have been a perennial threat to win it all.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 6, 2014
Taking stock of the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals
Four teams remain in the Eastern Conference playoffs, which points the spotlight on the regular-season conference champion Toyama Grouses and Iwate Big Bulls. As the top two seeds, the Grouses and Big Bulls play host to the Niigata Albirex BB and Akita Northern Happinets, respectively, this weekend....
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 5, 2014
Fukuoka coach Duncan reflects on team's eventful season
Canadian coach James Duncan's arrival in Kyushu signaled the start of the Rizing Fukuoka's revival in the second half of the season.
BASKETBALL
May 4, 2014
Kennedy gives Niigata edge over Shinshu
Thomas Kennedy thrived in pressure-packed games for the Yokohama B-Corsairs last season en route to the franchise's bj-league championship.
BASKETBALL
May 3, 2014
Osaka overpowers Shiga in second half, triumphs in Game 1
The Osaka Evessa held the Shiga Lakestars to 19-for-60 shooting, seized control of the game in the third quarter and made a winner of Evessa coach Shunsuke Todo in his bj-league playoff debut.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 1, 2014
Toyama's Joho named league MVP
Shooting guard Masashi Joho and forward Ira Brown form a dynamic one-two punch for the Toyama Grouses, a partnership that has helped the Hokuriku-based team make significant improvements — notably a steady increase in wins — in each of their three seasons together.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 30, 2014
Shiga, Osaka, Hamamatsu, Fukuoka aiming for long postseason run
The Ryukyu Golden Kings ruled the Western Conference, setting a league record with a 43-win season as new bench boss Tsutomu Isa put his stamp on the team after six seasons as a well-respected assistant.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 30, 2014
Akita-Aomori, Shinshu-Niigata playoff matchups should produce lively drama
The defending champion Yokohama B-Corsairs failed to qualify for the bj-league playoffs, ensuring that a new finalist from the Eastern Conference will step onto the court on May 25 at Ariake Colosseum with a shot at winning the league’s ninth title.
BASKETBALL
Apr 27, 2014
Golden Kings finish regular season in style
The Ryukyu Golden Kings shattered their own league record for victories in the regular season, and the Toyama Grouses tied the old mark on an action-packed Sunday, the final day of the bj-league's ninth season.
BASKETBALL
Apr 26, 2014
Hot-shooting Osaka routs Shimane
They started the season with six straight wins, followed by eight consecutive defeats. And they lost four of their last six contests entering Saturday's series opener against the Western Conference's cellar-dwelling Shimane Susanoo Magic.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 26, 2014
Palmer helping NBL players push for progress
Returning to the city where his pro basketball career was launched in 1990, Walter Palmer maintains deep convictions that a players union is a vital element for any league craving for legitimacy.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 23, 2014
Bambitious excited about future after debut season
Nobody realistically expected the Bambitious Nara to win 35 or 40 games in their inaugural season. After all, an expansion team must endure a lot of growing pains as a first-year franchise during a challenging 52-game schedule.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 23, 2014
Bambitious excited about future after debut season
Nobody realistically expected the Bambitious Nara to win 35 or 40 games in their inaugural season. After all, an expansion team must endure a lot of growing pains as a first-year franchise during a challenging 52-game schedule.
BASKETBALL
Apr 20, 2014
Brave Warriors avenge loss to 89ers
The Shinshu Brave Warriors suffered a 16-point loss at home to open the weekend, yielding 101 points to the visiting Sendai 89ers.
BASKETBALL
Apr 19, 2014
Iwate cruises past Gunma, keeps victory streak alive
The Iwate Big Bulls have won 20 of 26 home games and have a rock-solid 17-6 road mark. That's currently good for third place in the bj-league's ultra-competitive Eastern Conference, which has four 30-plus win teams, twice as many as the Western Conference.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 19, 2014
Nakama set to retire
Never a superstar, but always a hard-working, team-first player, shooting guard Jumpei Nakama has enjoyed popularity and the respect of his peers since the bj-league's inception in 2005. He's been a fan favorite throughout the country as the league has grown nonstop for nearly a decade.

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