Ren Kane’s Road to Redemption: Coach Tom Horvath’s 3-Point Plan for Success

[Kane Chika (Part 1)]Points of improvement shown by head coach Tom Horvath: stability, continuity, and energy

The Japanese basketball world is attracting more attention than ever before. Now in its 9th season, the number of spectators in the B League is on the rise, and new arenas are being opened one after another at each home base. In order to further accelerate this momentum, the growth and success of young players is the key. Titled “B.Rising,” we will be interviewing star candidates who will lead the future of the B.League and Japan’s men’s basketball world about everything from timely topics to stories about their childhoods. The first one is Chiba Jets player Kane Chikaren (22). We will deliver it twice, top and bottom.

Basketball2024.11.05 06:00

After practice on September 27th, Mr. Kanechika agreed to an interview at his base, Rock Ice Base.

“Even if I’m the coach, I’d rather have a player who explodes every once in a while…”

The interview was conducted on September 27th, one week before the start of the league. Even though it was a tough time for both the team and individuals, Kanechika was willing to take the time. His facial expressions and body were firm, so he must have been able to adjust smoothly. After the opening game, he played in all 11 games up to Round 6, averaging 18 minutes and 39 seconds per game, with a score of 4.0 and a success rate of 30.6% on three-point shots, one of his weapons.

Following last summer’s World Cup main tournament, he was ultimately unable to remain on the Japanese national team for this summer’s Paris Olympics. When he heard this, he looked straight ahead and began to speak emphatically.

―Both results were disappointing, but what did you lack?

I felt that (head coach Tom Horvath) had high expectations for me. In fact, during the World Cup, Tom said to me, “The game against Iran was amazing and special, but I thought you could do that much if you played normally, and I think that’s your strength.” I got it.

However, there were fluctuations in our performance, and we scored 0 points in the next game against Iran. When the opponent’s marking became stricter, I couldn’t play the way I wanted. Even before the World Cup, there were good games and bad games, and overall there were many games that I wasn’t satisfied with. Even in pressure situations and situations where results must be produced, players will not be able to make their selections with confidence unless they are able to play as usual and without any fluctuations in their performance. Even if I were a coach, I would choose players who can consistently contribute to the team rather than players who explode once in a while.

I think I was lacking in that area, and there was a part of me that was confused. My strengths are 3-point shooting and defense, and the best thing to do is to not give up on those, but if I can’t get a shot, I end up driving, and doing things that are different from the role expected of me. I tried to force it and it fell apart on its own.

Members of the Japanese national team played in a warm-up match against New Zealand in August 2023. Kanechika is third from the left in the back row.

Kanechika participated in the Asian qualifying match against Guam in February 2024.

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Joined the company in 1988. Focusing on professional baseball, he covers Nippon-Ham during his time in Tokyo, the final Yokohama Taiyo (currently DeNA), and the Nagashima Giants. In April of this year, he returned to being a field reporter for the first time in 20 years, and has been reporting on a wide range of topics, not just baseball.