Special rules bring out the fusion of the players’ enjoyment and serious competition.
On January 6th, “Resona Group B.LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME WEEKEND 2026 IN NAGASAKI” will open at HAPPINESS ARENA in Nagasaki. The opening event was “B.LEAGUE ALL-STAR ASIA CROSS TOURNAMENT 2026”. In addition to “RISING STARS,” a gathering of U24-generation Japanese players, and “ASIA ALL-STARS,” a group of special Asian players, this year, “B2 SELECTED” and “KYUSHU UNITED” also participated, and a heated tournament battle was held. The match format for the semi-finals and third place match is a first to score 20 points in 10 minutes (knockout format). Due to the running time system, the players had no time to catch their breath and continued playing, resulting in one super play after another. In the first match between KYUSHU UNITED and B2 SELECTED, local B2 SELECTED #10 Takeo Nagano (Yokohama EX) made his presence felt. They got off to a good start and won 20-10 by hitting a 3-point shot and making an assist pass to #3 Michael Parker (Ehime). We decided to advance to the finals. KYUSHU UNITED received loud cheers every time #14 Stanley Johnson of his hometown, Nagasaki, got the ball, but he was unable to lead them to victory. The ensuing match between ASIA ALL-STARS and RISING STARS started with an exchange of 3-point shots. #99 Omar Jamaleddin (Kawasaki), who was substituted in the middle, started the game with intense pressure, leading to a goal from a turnover in the final stages, and ASIA ALL-STARS won by a knockout of 20 points. The final was a 30-point knockout with no time limit. B2 SELECTED#3 Michael ParkerAfter (Ehime) took the lead with a putback, ASIA ALL-STARS immediately scored a layup from #99 Jamaleddin in transition. From here, a heated battle began. While both teams mainly focused on 3-point shots, #24 Tobin Marcus Kaishu (Fukui), who said, “I was only conscious of having fun and working hard,” followed up his 3-point shooting with a spectacular dunk. They led 16-11 just under four minutes into the game. The ASIA ALL-STARS players took a timeout and displayed an interesting offense invented by #5 Lee Hyun-jun (Nagasaki). The ballman was surrounded by four teammates and as they slowly advanced, #99 Jamaleddin saw an opening in the opponent’s gap and decided to make a layup. B2 SELECTED’s #24 Tobin, who was attacked, said, “When I was attacked, I was like, ‘Huh? Still, B2 SELECTED extended their lead with 3-point shots from #1 Tsukasa Nakano (Fukushima) and #8 Aren Hachimura (Kobe) and moved closer to victory at 29-26. However, it was difficult to get one more point. ASIA ALL-STARS scored their 27th point with a free throw from #1 Ray Parks Jr. (Osaka), and in the end, #2 Dwight Ramos (Hokkaido) made a 3-point shot from the top to make it 30-27. He achieved a come-from-behind victory. #2 Ramos, who scored the winning goal, expressed his gratitude for the great atmosphere created by the local fans, saying, “It was a fun match. It was a close battle until the end, but I’m glad we won in the end. The support from the fans who gathered at the arena was amazing.” In the third place match, KYUSHU UNITED defeated RISING STARS 22-16. #4 Masaya Kanimata (KYUSHU UNITED) of his hometown Nagasaki said, “I was happy. It was a completely different feeling from the cheers at the league match, and it made me feel like I didn’t make a mistake in what I did and how I feel about Nagasaki.” He beamed at being able to see them enjoying themselves with the cheering on their backs.
Text/Toshio Hirose (Monthly Basketball WEB)
