This is arguably the most remarkable statistic in the bj-league's seven-year history: Center Jeff Newton's teams have advanced to the Final Four every season.
He's the only player in league history with four championship rings and five championship game appearances — three with the Osaka Evessa and two more with his current club, the Ryukyu Golden Kings. So it's no surprise that Newton's legend has grown as the fledgling circuit expanded from six teams to 19 for the 2011-12 campaign.
Soft-spoken but possessing never-wavering confidence in his abilities, Newton, an Indiana University product, was schooled in the fundamentals of the game by legendary college coach Bob Knight. Those lessons have helped him become the ideal teammate.