Yoyogi National Gymnasium holds a special place in Japan basketball history, including its role in hosting tournament games during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
So it was only appropriate that the B. League ushered in a new era of men's pro basketball by staging its inaugural season opener at the historic arena in the heart of Tokyo on Thursday night. Yoyogi has been considered the mecca of Japan basketball for decades, with men's and women's national team games, annual college and high school tournaments and Emperor's Cup contests enriching its significance year after year, decade after decade.
The Alvark Tokyo and Ryukyu Golden Kings provided another historic occasion in the opener, with Tokyo prevailing 80-75 before a packed house of 9,132 spectators.
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