Apr 14, 2021
The B. League will increase the number of first-division teams to 24 in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, the men’s professional circuit announced after its board meeting on Tuesday.
A total of 20 clubs are competing in the top-tier B1 this year after two were promoted from the B2. The league had announced last year that it would expand the number to 22 for the 2021-22 campaign.
Two more B2 sides will join in the following year and the circuit has decided to maintain those figures with 24 in B1 and 14 in B2 through at least the 2023-24 season. Each division is currently divided into two conferences, a system that will remain until next year. But the league will return to a three-conference format once the B1 expands to 24.
Jan 17, 2021
The B. League was forced to abandon the annual All-Star Game due to the COVID-19 pandemic but did not completely give up offering entertainment for its fans.
On Saturday, the men s professional circuit held its dunk and 3-point contests as well as its skills challenge remotely. Participating players filmed their performances at their team s facilities and the winners were chosen through voting on social media.
Those contests were originally supposed to take place on Friday night at Adastria Mito Arena, the venue for this year’s Winter Classic festivities. The event was called off on Jan. 9 upon the request from the Ibaraki Prefecture host city because of an increasing number of novel coronavirus infections.