46-Year-Old Kei Igarashi Takes On New League as Niigata BB Scrambles to Sign Players

Kei Igarashi of the Niigata Albirex BB spoke about his challenge in a new league at the age of 46. His goal is a league title, which he has never won. The team is also scrambling to sign players.

Igarashi showed his determination to take on a new challenge with the words, "I believe in myself." He conveyed a willingness to keep preparing for his goals even as he gets older.

The Niigata Albirex BB is at a stage of building its roster for the fight in the new league. Moves to sign players are the groundwork for the big goal of winning the league title.

Winning a league title requires consistent results across a long season, and then the ability to win through the postseason. In general, the lineup of key players and how roles are divided can greatly affect results.

The B.LEAGUE is Japan's men's professional league, which was launched in 2016 when the NBL and the bj League merged. From the 2026-27 season, it will be divided into B.LEAGUE PREMIER, the first division, B.LEAGUE ONE, the second division, and B.LEAGUE NEXT, the third division.

Standings are determined by winning percentage, and points are not used. As a result, piling up wins over the season is the shortest path to a title race.

The key point to watch is how the results of the player signings will be reflected in the team's roster. Ahead of the start of the new season, how the team's style of play takes shape will be the focus.

Basketball Press view

The fact that a 46-year-old is taking on a new league is notable because it combines his experience as a player with his drive to build a team. Setting a goal of winning a league title that the club has never achieved shows the direction Niigata Albirex BB is heading. The effort to sign players is preparation to make that league title goal a reality. Given that B.LEAGUE standings are based on winning percentage, consistent wins over the season will be the test. Readers can follow the outcome more easily by looking at both the veteran's challenge and the team's roster moves.

This article was written by the Basketball Press editors based on the cited reports. AI is used to assist in writing and translating our articles. Please check the source for full details and exact figures.