, formally Niigata Albirex Basketball, is a Japanese basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 club. It is based in Niigata City

Niigata, Niigata

is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....

 and plays its games chiefly in the Niigata City gym and Toki Messe

Toki Messe

is a multi-purpose international convention center located in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The center was opened on May 1, 2003 and contains a hotel, restaurants, an art museum, conference rooms, and the offices of several international organizations....

.

Outline

The club was founded in 1954 as the company team of Daiwa Securities, a Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

-based securities brokerage. In 1991, it joined the Japan Basketball League

Japan Basketball League

The Japan Basketball League is a professional basketball league in Japan. It lies below the bj league, which is Japan's top basketball competition, but there is no promotion and relegation between bj and the JBL....

. In 2000, the company club was dissolved after NSG purchased it, and the club was moved before the 2000–2001 season to Niigata and renamed Albirex.

In 2004, it joined the bj league

Bj league

The bj league is a professional basketball league in Japan that began on November 5, 2005. The ten team league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference, and the Western Conference. It had its inaugural All-Star game in 2006. One of its major sponsors is Spalding.The bj league...

 along with five other clubs.

Team name transition

• 1954: The Daiwa Securities basketball club
• 1994: The Daiwa Securities Hotblizzards
• 2000: Niigata Albirex
• 2006: Niigata Albirex basketball

Roster

Season 2009-2010

Number	Player	Position	Height (m)
0	Akitomo Takeno	PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...	1.73
4	Makoto Hasegawa	PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...	1.88
6	Takato Saito	PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...	1.81
9	Naoto Kosuge (captain)	G Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...	1.87
13	Shuhei Komatsu	G Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...	1.84
24	Ryousuke Mizumachi	G Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...	1.86
31	Calvin Chitwood	PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...	1.98
32	Yuichi Ikeda (vice-captain)	F Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...	1.91
43	Paul Butorac	C/F Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	2.08
44	Antonio Burks (vice-captain)	PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... /SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...	1.95
45	Tyrene Levett	SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... /SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...	1.95

Honors

• Japan Basketball League Div.2
  • Champions (2) : 2000/2001, 2001/2002
• bj league
  • Runners-up (1) : 2005/2006
• Asia Professional Basketball Invitation Tournament
  • 4th Place (1) : 2006

Season-by-season records

Year	|Division	|Semi Final	|Finish
	Win	Lose	Place	Win	Lose	Win	Lose
2000	JBL Japan Basketball League The Japan Basketball League is a professional basketball league in Japan. It lies below the bj league, which is Japan's top basketball competition, but there is no promotion and relegation between bj and the JBL....	2	12	2	2nd	1	0	1	0	Champions
2001/2002	JBL		14	0	1st	2	0	2	1	Champions
2002/2003	JBL Super League		2	9	6th	---				6th
2003/2004			9	19	8th	---				8th
2004/2005			8	20	7th	---				7th
Season	|Regular Season	|Average Crowd
			Win	Lose	Win%	GB	Place
2005/2006	bj league Bj league The bj league is a professional basketball league in Japan that began on November 5, 2005. The ten team league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference, and the Western Conference. It had its inaugural All-Star game in 2006. One of its major sponsors is Spalding.The bj league...		29	11	.725	2.0	2nd	Runners-up
2006/2007			25	15	.625	4.0	2nd	4th		3,008
2007/2008			26	18	.591	3.0	East 3rd	6th		3,259
2008/2009	24	28	.462	12.0	East 4th

Key:

• Win%: Winning percentage
  Winning percentage
  In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
  
  
• GB: Games behind
  Games behind
  In sports, the phrase games behind or games back , is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division...