Former OSG Phoenix forward Jo Kurino was named the No. 1 overall draft pick on Monday by the Oita Heatdevils, who were given the first-round selection in Japan's first professional basketball league kicking off its inaugural season this fall.
Officials of the inaugural men's "bj league," which begins its season on Nov. 5, said the drafting system is the second to be introduced in Japan after the establishment of the amateur draft in professional baseball.
Under the drafting system, each of the six teams belonging to the league will equally distribute 102 players who took part in tryouts for the bj league.
The 26 players who are named in the draft will be guaranteed a minimum of 3 million yen in annual salary on a year-round contract.
Niigata Albirex, which until last year belonged to the top-tier Super League in the Japan Basketball Association, abandoned their top five picks after deciding to leave guard Makoto Hasegawa and four others on their 15-men roster and out of the draft.
A total of 31 players have already been guaranteed spots in the bj league.