Saitama Broncos

The Saitama Broncos (さいたまブロンコス, Saitama Buronkosu) is a men's professional basketball club based in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It calls the whole prefecture home and its main home arenas are Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium and Saitama Super Arena in Chūō-ku, Saitama City. It competes in the B.League.

History

• 1982: founded as an amateur Mazda Auto Tokyo (マツダオート東京, Matsuda Ōto Tōkyō, a dealer of Mazda Motor) basketball club.
• 1983: The nickname Broncos taken from Santa Clara University.
• 1987: Promoted to Japan Basketball League division 1.
• 1991: Club renamed to "Ẽfini Tokyo" (アンフィニ東京, Anfini Tōkyō)
• 1996: The company club was dissolved.
• 1997: Restarts as a community-based club "ME Tokorozawa Broncos" (ME所沢ブロンコス, Emu-ī Tokorozawa Buronkos). From a lower-tier "Kantō Corporate League" (関東実業団リーグ, Kantō Zitsugyō-dan Rīgu).
• 1998: Renamed "Tokorozawa Broncos" (所沢ブロンコス, Tokorozawa Buronkos). Promoted to the JBL division 2.
• 1999: The league reorganisation put the team to the new JBL.
• 2000: Adds Saitama City to its hometowns. Renamed hiragana "Saitama Broncos" (さいたまブロンコス, Saitama Buronkosu).
• 2002-03, 2004-05: Wins the premiership in two-peat.
• 2005: Quits the JBL. Renamed kanji "Saitama Broncos" (埼玉ブロンコス, Saitama Buronkosu). Competes in the bj league as an inaugural member.

Roster

Notable players

To appear in this section a player must have either:

• Set a club record or won an individual award as a professional player.
• Played at least one official international match for his senior national team or one NBA game at any time.

Coaches

• Tomoya Higashino
• Charles Johnson
• Kenji Yamane
• David Benoit
• Masato Fukushima
• Bob Nash
• Dean Murray
• Natalie Nakase
• Tracy Williams
• Takatoshi Ishibashi
• Kazuaki Shimoji
• Ryutaro Onodera
• Collier St. Clair
• Thomas Roijakkers
• John Saintignon

Arenas

• Urawa Komaba Gymnasium
• Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium
• Josai University
• Fukaya Big Turtle
• Kasukabe City General Gymnasium
• Cosmos Arena Fukiage
• Shiki Citizens Gymnasium

References

• ja:埼玉ブロンコス as 2007-06-06T02:55:59 by S-8500

External links

• Official (Japanese)

1. Saitama Super Arena
2. Saitama (city)
3. Saitama Prefecture
4. Tokorozawa, Saitama
5. Natalie Nakase
6. Bronco (disambiguation)
7. Wendell Lewis
8. B.League
9. Ariake Arena
10. Jordan Faison
11. Collier St. Clair
12. List of professional sports teams in Japan
13. Bj league
14. Ryutaro Onodera
15. Charles Johnson (basketball, born 1961)
16. John Flowers (basketball)
17. Will Creekmore
18. Dean Murray (basketball)
19. Michael Joiner
20. Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium