As Panasonic Corp. restructures due to financial problems, the JBL's Panasonic Trians, considered one of the pillars of the sport here for decades, will dissolve after the 2012-13 season, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
The Trians are coming off a fourth-place finish in the eight-team JBL first division. This season starts on Oct. 5, a year before the rebranded JBL combines JBL and JBL2 squads and the bj-league's Chiba Jets, who are defecting after the season.
Coach Yoshiaki Shimizu's roster includes veteran post player Charles O'Bannon, a UCLA product, big man Jameel Watkins, who attended Georgetown University, captain/guard Makoto Nagayama and forward Kosuke Kanamaru, a Japan national team member.
Over the years, the Panasonic-backed team has had a variety of names, including Matsushita Electronic Panasonic Kangaroos, since it was established in 1952.
Panasonic posted a deficit of ¥772.1 billion for the fiscal year ending in March. The electronics giant also announced plans to disband its badminton team.