Kumamoto Volters
Kumamoto's professional basketball team, named for volcano and water.
The Kumamoto Volters are a Japanese professional basketball team based in Kumamoto, competing in the B.League One, the second division of the B.League, as a member of the Southern Conference. The team name combines 'VOLCANO' and 'WATER', referencing Mount Aso and the underground water of Sirakawa Spring, both symbols of Kumamoto. The Volters have won one district championship in the second division and have reached the promotion playoffs to the first division six times.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 2012
- Leagues
- B.League
- Division
- Second
- Conference
- West
- Arena
- Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium
- Capacity
- 4,110
- Coach
- Kouto Tooyama
- Sponsor
- Nisikawa Group, Kumamoto
Facts from the source article.
History
Satosi Yunoue, a former junior high school teacher, was inspired by local NBA enthusiasm during a study trip to the United States and resolved to create a professional basketball team in his hometown of Kumamoto. He left teaching, and in 2009 an NPO was formed as a preparatory step. In September 2012, after the organization was approved to join the new National Basketball League (NBL) launching the following year, Yunoue founded Kumamoto Basketball Co., Ltd. as the club's parent organization. The team name 'Kumamoto Volters' was chosen through a public contest. In the NBL's first season, 12 teams split into Eastern and Western conferences, each playing 54 games; the Volters, in the Western Conference under head coach Norm de Silva, suffered a club-record 20-game losing streak. De Silva was dismissed mid-season, and the team finished 6th with 6 wins and 48 losses. The next season, under head coach Yosinori Simizu and assistant coach Takayuki Yasuda, the Volters again placed 6th in the Western Conference with the same 6–48 record, enduring losing streaks of 14, 12, and 11 games. The league then abolished the conference system for a round-robin format of 55 games per team. The Volters, still led by Simizu and Yasuda, improved to 13 wins despite an eight-game losing streak.
Arenas
The team’s main home court has been the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium since the 2016–17 season. Their original arena, Masiki Town General Gymnasium, was damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, underwent repairs, and came back into use starting with the 2022–23 season. Kikuyou Town General Gymnasium has been used since the 2023–24 season. A number of other venues are no longer used: Yatusiro "Toyooka-tiken" Arena and "ecowin" Uto Arena since 2022–23; Kousi City General Center "Vivre" since 2020–21; "Nursepower" Arena, Kikuti City General Gymnasium, Tamana City General Gymnasium, and Minamata City General Gymnasium since 2019–20; and Hitoyosi Sports Palace since 2017–18.
More in Basketball Teams in Japan
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced