Building a professional basketball team from scratch requires patience, energy and a never-wavering commitment to promoting the product in nearby communities.
The Rizing Fukuoka have kept busy doing all of the above in northern Kyushu.
And now it's time for John Neumann's club, a first-year bj-league team, to step up on the floor for their first-ever game. The Rizing's season-opening contest pits them against the league's standard bearer of excellence, the two-time reigning champion Osaka Evessa.