Rising attendance figures across the nation and increased media attention were two byproducts of the merger that created the B. League, when the disbanded NBL, NBDL and bj-league joined forces to make this a possibility.

And it was necessary to move the sports in the right direction in Japan. FIBA deserves a pat on the back for forcing the Japan Basketball Association to clean house and take the difficult steps to create the B. League.

Now, it¡¯s time to seriously address another important issue in Japan pro hoops. The integration of officials from the three aforementioned leagues has been a bumpy road for the three-tier B. League, aka B1, B2 and B3.