B.League launches new season with B Premier tier

The B.League, Japan's professional basketball league, has launched a new season featuring a restructured tier system. The new format includes B Premier, B One, and B Next, comprising a total of 55 teams competing through next May.

Marking the tenth anniversary of the league's formation in 2016, the inaugural B Premier matches featured a rematch of the league's historic opening matchup between the Ryukyu Golden Kings and Alvark Tokyo at the Toyota Arena Tokyo. The Ryukyu Golden Kings split the opening two-day series with a 1-1 record, losing the first game 73-84 and securing their first B Premier victory in the second game with a score of 85-74.

The league has grown significantly since its inception, which followed a period where Japanese basketball faced international sanctions due to divided domestic leagues. While the B.League's market size remains under 100 billion yen—significantly smaller than the NBA's 2 trillion yen—the league has seen increased regional engagement and rising competitive levels in the men's national team.