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
May 29, 2015
Oketani leaves Iwate Big Bulls after three seasons at the helm
After three successful seasons in charge, Iwate Big Bulls coach Dai Oketani's tenure has ended, the Eastern Conference club announced on Friday evening.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 29, 2015
Prefontaine's legacy still growing 40 years after death
'I'm not afraid of losing. But if I do, I want it to be a good race. I'm an artist, a performer. I want people to appreciate the way I run.' — Steve Prefontaine
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 28, 2015
Nakamura set to take over in Niigata; Togashi in plans
After a season away, Kazuo Nakamura, now 74, is launching the next chapter in his long head coaching career. He will become the Niigata Albirex BB's new head coach, multiple sources have told The Japan Times.
BASKETBALL
May 27, 2015
Cinq Reves cut ties with head coach Aoki
The Tokyo Cinq Reves have decided not to renew head coach Motofumi Aoki's contract, the bj-league club recently announced on its website.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 24, 2015
Murry named MVP after fourth-quarter heroics
Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix guard Nile Murry carried his team in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s bj-league championship game.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 24, 2015
Phoenix beat Northern Happinets to capture third bj-league title
The final two possessions determined the outcome, creating a thrilling finish to the bj-league's 10th Final Four.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 23, 2015
Happinets ride strong second half into bj-league final
The Akita Northern Happinets dominated the second half against the Iwate Big Bulls, turning a tie game into a convincing victory.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 21, 2015
Title aspirations collide for Final Four teams
This time, there's a new look on the grand stage.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
May 19, 2015
'Coach Crusher' likes Hamamatsu's chances going into Final Four
The Japan Times features periodic interviews with personalities in the bj- league. Coach Tomoya Higashino of the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix is the subject of this week's profile.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
May 16, 2015
Nash looks back on days with Dr. J
Years before Julius Erving became the iconic Dr. J and one of basketball's all-time legends, he established a friendship with Bob Nash that has lasted for decades.
BASKETBALL
May 14, 2015
Shimoji won't return to coach Saitama for 2015-16 season
As expected, the Saitama Broncos are making a coaching change after another atrocious season.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 14, 2015
League legend Newton reveals he's decided to retire
Jeff Newton, the winningest player in league history, has quietly retired.
BASKETBALL
May 13, 2015
Niigata parts ways with Hiraoka
The Niigata Albirex BB reached the playoffs in each of Fujitaka Hiraoka's two seasons as head coach.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 10, 2015
Akita, Iwate, Hamamatsu, Shiga advance to Final Four
The Final Four picture is now set, and it's a decidedly different look this year.
BASKETBALL
May 9, 2015
Murry sinks shot at buzzer to lift Phoenix
Nile Murry provided the heroics in crunch time.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK
May 9, 2015
Vizer stands by criticism of IOC
Two weeks after his shocking speech in Sochi, Marius Vizer gave a passionate, yet defiant defense of his fiery rhetoric, which drew the scorn of the IOC and other global sports governing bodies.
BASKETBALL
May 8, 2015
Toyama's Joho needs to rest ailing knee in offseason
Toyama Grouses star Masashi Joho won't have offseason surgery after sustaining a knee injury in the final week of the regular season.
BASKETBALL
May 8, 2015
Takamatsu hires Ito to replace Maeda as bench boss
The Takamatsu Five Arrows made their first coaching change since 2011 on Friday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 7, 2015
Favorites take care of business in first round of playoffs
No big surprises emerged from the Western Conference's first-round playoff action, with the top four seeds advancing to the semifinals.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
May 5, 2015
Fukushima makes great progress in first season
The Fukushima Firebonds' season-ending loss on Sunday closed one chapter in the team's history. But of greater significance was the foundation the first-year franchise built over the past eight months.

Longform

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