SoftBank has been supporting basketball as a top partner of the Japan Basketball Association (JBA) and B.LEAGUE since 2016, and a ceremony was held at SoftBank’s Takeshiba headquarters to present the company with uniforms from the Japan men’s national basketball team players.

Baba and Hawkinson present the uniforms

The ceremony was attended by Japan Basketball Association Chairperson Yuko Miya, and Japan men’s national basketball team players Yudai Baba and Josh Hawkinson. In a friendly atmosphere, SoftBank Corp. Representative Director, President and CEO Junichi Miyagawa and Representative Director, Executive Vice President and COO Jun Shimba held a chat, and Baba and Hawkinson presented the new uniforms to the team.

Chairman Miya expressed his gratitude, saying, “Basketball is more exciting than ever before. The stadium is filled with fans wearing red uniforms, and tickets sell out quickly. We have so many fans cheering for us. And thanks to SoftBank for their long-term support, even when we were struggling to achieve results, we’ve finally reached a point where we can feel a sense of accomplishment.” Miyagawa wished the team the best of luck in the future, and expressed his enthusiasm to create a place where all SoftBank employees can come together to support the team.

The new uniforms feature the SoftBank logo prominently on the front. The uniforms were displayed in the company cafeteria at the company’s headquarters.

We asked Baba and Hawkinson about their enthusiasm for the SoftBank CUP 2024!

The new uniform design presented this time will be worn for the first time at the “SoftBank CUP 2024 (Tokyo Tournament) Men’s Japan National Team International Training Match” to be held on July 5th and 7th, hereinafter referred to as “SoftBank CUP 2024”. Regarding the new uniform, Baba commented, “It is very light and highly absorbent, and the material is not stressful even when you sweat. Also, pink has been incorporated into the white uniform for the first time. It is a new image that has never been seen before, and I think it suits us now, and I want to create a new era with this team.” When asked who on the team looks best in pink, Hawkinson replied with a joke, “Mikey (Kawamada Hiroya) had pink hair, so if he wears this, it looks like cherry blossoms in full bloom (laughs).”

We also asked the two about their enthusiasm for the SoftBank CUP 2024, which will be held on July 5th and 7th.

Please tell us about your enthusiasm for the SoftBank CUP 2024.

Baba“I think a lot of fans will be coming to the Ariake Arena where the match will be held, so I want to enjoy it as it’s a chance to show off what we’ve been doing. This will be our last warm-up match in Japan before we go to France, so I want to play some good basketball.”

Hawkinson“The recent international warm-up match against Australia and this match against South Korea are steps up for us before we play on the big stage in the summer. This will be our last match in Japan before that, so we’re looking forward to showing our skills to the fans who support our basketball.”

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Baba“After last year’s World Cup, I feel that the enthusiasm for basketball in Japan is on the rise. I feel that this is a positive pressure, and I hope that we can fight as one team, as a team. We are trying to achieve things that we, the players, coaches, and staff, have not been able to achieve on our own, so I want to fight as one team, as a team, with the fans and everyone who supports us.”

Hawkinson“Since last year, I’ve felt the passionate support of our fans, and they’ve encouraged and supported us in good times and bad. I think the two games at Ariake Arena will lead to the big stage in the summer, so I would appreciate your continued support.”

The SoftBank CUP 2024 games will be broadcast on Basketball LIVE, a live streaming service provided by SoftBank. The games will be broadcast until the end, so you don’t have to worry about missing any important scenes. You can also enjoy the archived broadcast. Let’s cheer on the Japanese national team and get excited about basketball!

Basketball Live

This service allows you to enjoy live and on-demand broadcasts of a variety of domestic basketball games, from professional leagues such as B.LEAGUE and W LEAGUE, to amateur tournaments and the Japanese national team “AKATSUKI JAPAN.”

Basketball LIVE
Learn more

Check out the highlights of “SoftBank CUP 2024” here!

(Published: July 4, 2024)
Article by SoftBank News Editorial Department

2024-07-04 07:08:41
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