Yuta Watanabe and the Chiba Jets face an escalating defensive challenge when they step onto the hardwood for Fuji Television’s special basketball battle, featuring a celebrity squad organized to test the professional roster’s scoring limits.
Fuji Television Broadcasts Chiba Jets Versus Celebrity Lineup
Fuji Television broadcasted the prediction-battle variety program Chidori no Oni Renchan at 7:00 p.m. local time, featuring a new 3-on-4 basketball showdown between the Chiba Jets and a team of celebrity challengers. The format requires the professional Chiba Jets players to sink five baskets within 10 total attempts to secure a single successive success round, known locally as a renchan. As the game progresses through five distinct levels, the celebrity defense expands dynamically from four players up to seven defenders on the floor, scaling the difficulty for the professionals.
In the studio, hosts Chidori and Kamaitachi observe the action and place predictions on how many consecutive successful rounds the challengers can achieve, drafting their own fantasy rosters to compete against one another in a side wagering battle. The celebrity team is captained by comedian Yutaka Tamura of Kirin, joined by Hanako’s Daigo Okabe, Jun Shojima, Key to Lit member Soya Igari, and 196-centimeter comedian-turned-professional basketballer Dunk Haku of Twin Tower. Additional roster depth comes from Takumi Ishida, Bakemon Sensei, and Takos of Marie Marie.
National Team Stars Form the Chiba Jets Core
Two-time Olympian and former NBA player Yuta Watanabe anchors the Chiba Jets lineup alongside national team members Shuta Hara and Ren Kanachika, who both represented Japan at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Hara brings a heavy physical presence to the floor, standing 187 centimeters tall and weighing 100 kilograms, earning comparisons to a heavy tank due to his aggressive playing style. To counter the growing number of defenders at higher levels, Watanabe proposed a tactical approach designed to exhaust the opposing defensive players before attempting deep-level shots.
Right from the opening whistle, Key to Lit’s Igari signaled his intent to stop the professional scorers by any means necessary, employing aggressive defensive tactics against the 206-centimeter Watanabe. The physical pressure applied by the celebrity side quickly generated visible tension among the Chiba Jets players, forcing the professional squad to adapt as the defensive player count increased toward the final level.
Keep reading
