EDITORIAL | After FIBA, Japan’s Basketball Team Has to Up Its Game in Paris

The countless Rising Sun flags waving wildly in the stands at the Okinawa Arena were emblematic of the great accomplishment. Japan’s men’s national basketball team had proved itself best in Asia with three wins in five FIBA Basketball World Cup games. It thereby qualifies for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Japan appeared in the Tokyo Olympics (in 2021) because it was the host nation. This, however, will be the first time since the Montreal Olympics 48 years ago that its men’s basketball team will compete in the Olympics based on its own proven ability.

During the Basketball World Cup, the Japanese team kept the crowds on the edges of their seats throughout with its dramatic wins. Two of Japan’s three victories were upsets and one was a narrow escape. Plaudits for the victories go of course to the players and the coaching staff. But the vocal support from fans also provided a big…