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 / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
May 18, 2016
Gunma's Hamilton happy to help others shine
The Japan Times has featured periodic interviews with players in the bj-league since 2006 in this long-running series. Gary Hamilton of the Gunma Crane Thunders is the subject of this week's profile. Because the league's final game was held on Sunday, this article wraps up the series in its current format....
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 15, 2016
Golden Kings bring curtain down on bj-league with fourth title
Four championships in nine seasons.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 15, 2016
Ryukyu's Ravenel named playoff MVP
Ryukyu Golden Kings big man Evan Ravenel made a big impact in Sunday's bj-league championship game against the Toyama Grouses.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 14, 2016
Viney leads charge as Grouses storm into bj-league title game
For the Toyama Grouses' loyal fans, the team's 14-game winning streak is a delightful number.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 12, 2016
Final Four to bring curtain down on league
This weekend marks the end of an era.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 8, 2016
Hannaryz punch ticket to Final Four with win over Lakestars
After seeing their streak of three consecutive Final Four appearances halted by the Shiga Lakestars last season, the Kyoto Hannaryz avenged that series defeat over the weekend.
BASKETBALL
May 7, 2016
Toyama stages fourth-quarter comeback against Iwate, wins 12th straight
The red-hot Toyama Grouses collected their 12th straight victory on Saturday, a wild 70-61 home triumph over the Iwate Big Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinal series opener.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 5, 2016
Playoff action heats up with conference semifinals
Eight teams remain in the hunt for the 11th and final bj-league title.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 1, 2016
Conference semifinals set after opening weekend of bj-league playoff action
With one action-packed weekend of playoff games in the books, the number of title-chasing teams is now down to eight.
BASKETBALL
Apr 30, 2016
Mavunga scores 40 in Shiga's playoff-opening OT triumph over Hamamatsu
The Shiga Lakestars, vying to return to the Final Four for the second straight season, held off the defending champion Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix on Saturday, winning 96-94 in overtime.
OLYMPICS
Apr 30, 2016
Gymnast Kato, judoka Nomura included on top 100 all-time Olympians list
Distinguished journalist Joe Posnanski, a columnist for the NBC SportsWorld website, recently compiled a list of top 100 all-time Olympians.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 28, 2016
Title hunt tips off for 16 playoff contestants
After the long regular season, 16 teams remain in the hunt for the bj-league title.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 27, 2016
Sendai forward White named bj-league MVP
Sendai 89ers forward Wendell White joined fellow league legend Lynn Washington, the retired Osaka Evessa icon, as the bj-league's only two-time regular-season MVPs, as the league's 11th and final regular-season awards were announced on Wednesday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 24, 2016
Joho dials up vintage performance for Eastern Conference champion Toyama
Toyama Grouses guard Masashi Joho celebrated his 34th birthday on Sunday with a 27-point performance in the team's 98-90 win over the visiting Aomori Wat's.
BASKETBALL
Apr 24, 2016
Steady Evessa beat rival Golden Kings
Balanced scoring fueled the Osaka Evessa's 81-77 win over the Ryukyu Golden Kings, a fierce rival, in Saturday's series opener.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 23, 2016
Ex-Tokyo Apache standout Swift rebuilding life after off-court troubles
Third in a three-part series.
BASKETBALL
Apr 22, 2016
Yokohama cruises past Tokyo
The Yokohama B-Corsairs ended an eight-game slide on Friday night, whipping the Tokyo Cinq Reves in their bj-league series opener.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 21, 2016
Rookie sensation Nash raising profile with Firebonds
Fukushima Firebonds forward Le'Bryan Nash has been the league's premier scorer this season.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 17, 2016
Phoenix end Golden Kings' franchise-record winning streak
Entering this season, the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix and Ryukyu Golden Kings had combined to win six of 10 bj-league championships, with each franchise grabbing the title three times.
BASKETBALL
Apr 16, 2016
Nash's 42-point night ignites Fukushima
Rookie forward Le'Bryan Nash scored a game-high 42 points and the Fukushima Firebonds snapped a four-game losing streak on Saturday, beating the visiting Sendai 89ers 94-93.

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