Yokohama B-Corsairs

The Yokohama B-Corsairs (横浜ビー・コルセアーズ, Yokohama Bii Koruse'a-zu) are a Japanese professional basketball team that compete in the first division of the B.League. Following the team's establishment in 2010, they participated in the Eastern Conference of the bj league for five seasons and in 2013 became the first team based in the Kanto region of Japan to win the league's championship.^[1]

Yokohama B-Corsairs
Leagues	B.League
Founded	2010; 14 years ago (2010)
History	bj league (2010–2016)
Arena	Yokohama International Swimming Pool
Capacity	5,000
Location	Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Team colors	Navy blue
Main sponsor	Weins Group
President	Eisuke Shirai
Team manager	Ken Takeda
Head coach	Lassi Tuovi
Ownership	Yokohama Sports Entertainment Co., Ltd.
Championships	1 (2012–13 bj league)
Retired numbers	2 (3, 13)
Website	b-corsairs.com
Home Away

History

Early success in bj league (2011-13)

The B-Corsairs entered the league in the 2011–2012 season as one of four expansion teams, seeing the league grow from 16 to 20 teams. In their first season they finished in second place in the Eastern Conference,^[2] led by league MVP Justin Burrell. Former NBA player Reggie Geary won the coach of the year award.^[2] In the playoff series they finished third overall,^[1] losing the Eastern Conference Final to the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix but defeating the Kyoto Hannaryz in the playoff for third.

The following season the B-Corsairs won the 2012-13 bj-league title, defeating Rizing Fukuoka in the championship game.^[1] After again finishing second in the Eastern Conference, they overcame conference leader Niigata Albirex BB in the Eastern Conference Final, with Draelon Burns scoring in the final second of the game.^[3] With the victory, Geary became the first foreign-born coach to win a title in the bj-league.^[1] Team captain Masayuki Kabaya was named playoff MVP.

Descent from playoff contention (2013-2016)

The club's initial success came at a financial cost. In the off-season following their championship success, it was reported that the club was in financial difficulty and the ownership changed.^[4] Geary left the club to join the Chiba Jets and the B-Corsairs' import players also signed with other clubs within Japan.^[4] Geary's assistant Michael Katsuhisa became head coach^[4] and Taketo Aoki retired as a player to become an assistant coach.^[5] Import players Wayne Marshall, Marquise Gray and Omar Reed joined the club.^[4] The 2013–14 season started reasonably well for the club, which was in playoff contention with a 16–17 record,^[6] but it slumped at the end of the year and finished with a 24–28 record, missing out on the playoffs for the first time.^[7]

Katsuhisa remained as head coach for the 2014–15 season and the team was again led by Kabaya and Marshall. Dzaflo Larkai, Carl Hall and Warren Niles were added as import players. Kenji Yamada was named captain although Kabaya remained with the team. The club struggled throughout the season however, with Marshall missing a quarter of the season due to injury.^[7] They finished to 10th place in the Eastern Conference with an 18–34 win–loss record.^[5]

At the end of the 2014–15 season Katsuhisa left the club and Aoki became the head coach.^[5] Marshall left the club and was replaced by Jordan Henriquez. Cory Johnson and Emanuel Willis were also added to the roster, although Willis was released six games into the 2015–16 season.^[8] Yamada continued in the role of team captain for the second season.^[9] Satoshi Hisayama, who had been at the club since its beginning in 2011 but was released at the end of the 2014–15 season, returned to the club at the end of October to replace Willis.^[10] Small forward Ryoichi Ishitani, who had been with the B-Corsairs training squad since the 2014–15 season, including a previous stint on the main squad between November 2014 and February 2015, was signed to a full contract and added to the main squad in February 2016.^[11] After recording a 16–14 win–loss record in the first four months of the season,^[12] the team slumped to manage just two wins in its next twenty games.^[13] The team finished the season in 10th place in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year.^[14] At the end of the season the club announced that it would not renew the contracts of Hall and Johnson.^[15]

B.League

From September 2016, the B-Corsairs will compete in the Central Conference of the First Division of the B.League, a new three-division competition formed from the merger of the bj-league and the National Basketball League.^[16][17] During the off-season, Hisayama, who had been with the club since their foundation, announced his retirement as a player,^[18] and joined the Shimane Susanoo Magic as a coach under Katsuhisa. Yamada was named as team captain for his third year.^[19] Off-season signings included free agents Jeff Parmer (previously with Shiga)^[20] and Faye Pape Mour (previously with Niigata),^[21] as well as American Jason Washburn, who was previously playing in the Kosovo league in Europe.^[22]

Record by season

League	Season	Regular season						Playoffs	Head coach	Ref
		GP	W	L	%	GB	Finish
bj-league	2011-12	52	31	21	.596	6.0	2nd East Conf.	Third	Reggie Geary	[23]
	2012-13	52	35	17	.673	1.0	2nd East Conf.	Champions		[24]
	2013-14	52	24	28	.462	18.0	7th East Conf.	Did not qualify	Michael Katsuhisa	[25]
	2014-15	52	18	34	.346	23.0	10th East Conf.	Did not qualify		[26]
	2015-16	52	19	33	.365	20.0	10th East Conf.	Did not qualify	Taketo Aoki	[14]

Players

Current roster

Yokohama B-Corsairs roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name F/C 7 Danieldan Nnanna PF 8 Gary Clark G/F 9 Yusei Sugiura F 11 Damien Inglis SG 14 Takeru Oba F 15 Kiefer Ravena PG 18 Kenta Morii C 21 Maik Kotsar G 23 Kai King G/F 24 Hiroki Matsuzaki SG 30 Sudo Koya F/C 40 Josh Scott	Head coach Lassi Tuovi Assistant coach(es) Jukka Toijala Kenji Yamada Legend (C) Team captain Injured Roster

Individual awards

• League MVP:
  • Justin Burrell (2011–12)^[2]
  • Yuki Kawamura (2022–23)^[27]
• Playoff MVP:
  • Masayuki Kabaya (2012–13)^[1]
• League Best Five:
  • Justin Burrell (2011–12)
  • Draelon Burns (2012–13)^[3]
  • Yuki Kawamura (2022–23, 2023-23)

All-Star selections

• Justin Burrell (2011–12)
• Draelon Burns (2012–13)
• Masayuki Kabaya (2013–14)
• Yuki Kawamura (2022–23, 2024-24)

Notable players

Robert Carter

• Justin Burrell
• Paul Butorac
• Robert Carter
• Jordan Henriquez
• Masashi Hosoya
• Cory Johnson
• Takuya Kawamura
• Dzaflo Larkai
• Khyle Marshall
• Will McDonald
• Chas McFarland
• Alexis Minatoya
• Marcus Simmons
• Hasheem Thabeet
• Jason Washburn
• Kenji Yamada
• Patrik Auda
• Yuki Kawamura

Head coaches

Years active	Name	Record (W–L)	Win %	Playoff record (W–L)	Playoff Win %	Playoff Appearances	Conference Titles	League Titles	Notes
2011-12 - 2012-13	Reggie Geary	66-38	.635	5–1	.833	2	0	1	Named Coach of the year in 2011-12[2]
2013-14 - 2014-15	Michael Katsuhisa	42–62	.404	0–0	-	0	0	0	Assistant coach in 2011-12 and 2012–13
2015-16	Taketo Aoki	19-33	.365	0-0	-	0	0	0	Played for B-Corsairs in 2011-12 and 2012-13 Assistant Coach in 2013-14 and 2014–15
2017	Satoru Furuta	4-15	.211						Fired
2017-18	Shota Shakuno	15-39	.277
2018-20	Thomas Wisman	22-70	.239						Fired
2020	Shogo Fukuda	3-2	.600
2020-2021	Kyle Milling	19-40	.322
2021-2024	Taketo Aoki	79-98	.446	2-2		1	0	0
2024-	Lassi Tuovi

Arenas

• Yokohama International Swimming Pool
• Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium, Yokohama United Arena
• Tokkei Security Hiratsuka General Gymnasium

Practice facilities

The team practices at the Takigashira Kaikan in Isogo, Yokohama.

References

1. Odeven, Ed (20 May 2013). "Yokohama captures first-ever bj-league title". Japan Times. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
2. "American Justin Burrell wins MVP in Japan pro league". ESPN. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
3. Odeven, Ed (19 May 2013). "Burns heroics give B-Corsairs shot at championship". Japan Times. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
4. Odeven, Ed (5 October 2013). "Kabaya looks past glory of title team, forward to new season". Japan Times. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
5. Odeven, Ed (5 June 2015). "Aoki named Yokohama B-Corsairs coach". Japan Times. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
6. Odeven, Ed (29 March 2014). "Struggling Yokohama falling out of playoff race". Japan Times. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
7. Odeven, Ed (2 April 2015). "Playoff race gathering momentum". Japan Times. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
8. "エマニュエル・ウィリス選手契約解除のお知らせ" [Notification of termination of contract with Emanuel Willis] (in Japanese). 20 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
9. "プロバスケ「横浜ビー・コルセアーズ」が文体で開幕戦　1勝1敗でシーズンスタート" [Pro basketball "Yokohama B-Corsairs" open season at Cultural Gym, start season 1-1]. Yokohama Keizai Shimbun. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
10. "久山智志選手 契約締結のお知らせ" [Notification of contract signed with Satoshi Hisayama]. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
11. "西谷亮一選手 契約締結のお知らせ" [Notice of contract with Ryoichi Nishitani] (in Japanese). 8 February 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
12. "試合日程・結果" [Schedule and Results] (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 April 2016.
13. Odeven, Ed (17 April 2016). "Phoenix end Golden Kings' franchise-record winning streak". Japan Times. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
14. "順位表" [Standings] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
15. "コーリー選手、カール選手　契約満了のお知らせ" [End of contract period for Cory, Carl] (in Japanese). 17 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
16. Nagatsuka, Kaz (28 October 2015). "JPBL finalizes division placements for 2016-17". The Japan Times. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
17. "［JPBL］新リーグ1～3部階層分けの第2弾発表結果について" [(JPBL) Results of second round of dividing teams into Divisions 1-3 of new league] (in Japanese). 29 August 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
18. "久山智志選手 引退のお知らせ" [Notification of Satoshi Hisayama's retirement] (in Japanese). 16 August 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
19. "2016-17シーズン　背番号＆キャプテン　決定！" [2016-17 season uniform numbers and captain announced] (in Japanese). 27 July 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
20. "ジェフリー・パーマー選手 契約基本合意のお知らせ" [Notification of contract with Jeff Parmer] (in Japanese). 12 August 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
21. "ファイ・パプ月瑠選手 契約基本合意のお知らせ" [Notification of contract with Faye Pape Mour] (in Japanese). 12 August 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
22. "ジェイソン・ウォッシュバーン選手 契約基本合意のお知らせ" [Notification of contract with Jason Washburn] (in Japanese). 12 August 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
23. "2011–2012シーズン　最終順位" [2011–2012 Season Final Standings] (in Japanese). bj-league. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
24. "2012–2013レギュラーシーズン　順位表" [2012–2013 Regular season Standings] (in Japanese). bj-league. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
25. "2013–2014レギュラーシーズン　順位表" [2013–2014 Regular season Standings] (in Japanese). bj-league. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
26. "2014–2015レギュラーシーズン　順位表" [2014–2015 Regular season Standings] (in Japanese). bj-league. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
27. "Hachimura, Watanabe and Kawamura top 25-man list of Japan candidates for World Cup". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2023-08-27.

External links

• Official website
• Yokohama B-Corsairs on Twitter