Basketball¡¯s rapid growth in Japan has largely been driven by the men¡¯s game, including the professional B. League and the emergence of homegrown NBA players in Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe.
The women¡¯s game has also made clear its determination to drive the sport forward, naming Cannes Film Festival prize-winning film director Naomi Kawase as the new chairperson of the Women¡¯s Japan Basketball League.
The 52-year-old ¡ª who is currently serving as the official film director of the Tokyo Olympics ¡ª replaced Kiyomi Saito, who had been the league¡¯s chief since 2015.
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