Gunma Crane Thunders Announce New Players⁣ and Head Coach for 2024-25 ‌Season

On Saturday, September​ 7th, prior to ‍the preseason match against the Sunrockers Shibuya, a ‌public press conference was held on the main ​court of Open House Arena Ota to announce the new players ​joining​ the team for the ‌2024-25 season.

Appearing ⁢at the press ⁣conference ⁣were newly-signed head coach Kyle Milling, ⁢players Yusuke ‍Fujii, Matthew Aquino, Kazuki Hosokawa, ⁣and Johannes Thiemann, as well as Gunma Professional Basketball ⁢Commission President and CEO Tsuyoshi Akuzawa, and Open House Group Executive Vice President, Gunma Professional⁢ Basketball Commission Director, and Gunma Crane Thunders General Manager ​Shintaro ​Yoshida.

Introduction‌ of New Players and Head Coach

#0‍ Yusuke Fujii

He is one of the league’s best defenders, having won the Best Defender award ‌three times⁣ and​ the ⁣2021-22 season MVP award.

Comment: “I’ve never⁢ played at Open House Arena ⁢Ota, but when I ​watched‍ the video,‌ I thought the fireworks when ‍a shot went in were amazing, so I’d⁢ like to score a shot ​myself. I’ll do my best to ‌create ⁢as many fireworks as possible. I⁣ had⁤ a​ lot of conversations with⁣ GM Yoshida, and I got the⁤ feeling from him that⁤ he wanted to⁢ win, so I decided that I also wanted to win with ⁢this team. The biggest deciding ‌factor was​ Naoto Tsuji. It was because ‌of him that‌ I decided to come ⁣to Gunma Crane Thunders.”

#13 Matthew Aquino

A 205cm tall Japanese big⁤ man ‍with excellent three-point shooting ability, ⁤he is expected to play both inside and outside,⁤ a style that modern basketball demands.

Comment: “Like Fujii said, I want to‌ make ​a lot of 3PTs and⁣ create a lot of firepower. I want to keep doing what I can for the ⁢team ‌in every game. I have played against⁢ Gunma six times in my career,​ and as an opponent,⁣ I felt ⁤that the team was getting better every year. ‍With that‍ in ⁣mind, I wanted to become a champion myself, and I joined Gunma with the idea that I could start a new chapter in my basketball life and support the ⁣team as ​it grew.”

#29 Kazuki Hosokawa

He has some of the best⁢ physical strength in the league, and is⁣ able to make three-point ⁤shots with a high success rate, making him a player who ⁢is highly​ anticipated ⁢as ⁤the ​club’s first Japanese ​national team player.

Comment: “My strengths⁢ are my three-pointers and my physicality, ⁢so I’ll do my best to make as many three-pointers as⁢ possible here in this arena and get the team on a good roll, so I hope everyone will pay attention to that. ‍Four years have passed ⁢since I joined Gunma as a special designated ⁤player, ⁣and ⁣I feel that my‍ passion for basketball has grown since then. Personally, I participated in the CS last ⁤season ​but was unable to win, but that made me want to win even more, ⁤and I felt‌ that Gunma was the team that could win, so I ⁣decided to join the ‍Gunma Crane‌ Thunders.”

#32 Johannes ‍Thiemann

He is⁢ currently a member of the German national team,‌ the 2023​ World Cup ⁤champion and 4th place at the 2024 Paris Olympics. His strengths are ​defense and rebounding, and he serves ⁣as captain of his​ German club, which ⁢competes in the EuroLeague, where he ⁤is expected to bring a fighting spirit to the team.

Comment: “I think ​my strengths are being​ able to play both in​ and outside the paint. I want to ​show the fans an ​enjoyable performance both offensively and ⁢defensively. Speaking with the coaching staff before coming here, I believe ​this team shows me a lot of ​respect. ⁣I want to bring everything I’ve experienced ‌in Germany, what I felt, how hard ‍it was to become a champion, and everything⁣ I’ve experienced to this team, and ⁣prove it to everyone, and I’ve come here with that ⁤desire⁢ to play.”

Kyle⁣ Milling ⁣Head Coach

He was the head coach of last season’s⁤ B.League champions. He places emphasis on team defense, while utilizing the characteristics of each⁤ player on offense, and is a master ‍of ⁣management skills that brings the team together to achieve goals.

Comment: “Gunma is a growing team, and there are many areas where they ‌have improved compared to the past, so I am happy to ⁢be able to come to Gunma and support the⁣ team.⁤ I see how hard‍ the club is working to create a good environment for the team, so I would like‌ to do my best to play the highest ‍level of basketball possible in this environment. I think ‌the Thunders is a team that has a great⁣ mix of new players, players who have been ⁣here ⁣for a while, young players, and veteran players. I expect ​each player to do what they need to do, and⁤ I want⁣ to lead the team in a way that allows them to‌ play ‌with confidence. This is the first time I’ve played basketball here with the fans. It’s also the first time in my‍ basketball life that I’ve come to‌ this arena, and the ​first time I’ve spoken in front of an audience, so I ⁢don’t think we⁢ can finish this season without your support, and your support is ​essential‍ to reaching our⁤ goal, so please continue to support us. Thank you.”

Club ​Greetings and Business Explanation

At the beginning of the press conference, President and CEO Tsuyoshi Akuzawa mentioned the philosophy the‌ club has upheld since its⁣ founding, “To make Gunma⁣ excited through basketball,” and expressed his gratitude⁢ for the club’s⁤ growth and support to date.

General Manager Yoshida Shintaro gave​ a report on the strategic‌ intention‌ behind ⁢acquiring new players, as well ‍as the current status of‌ Gunma Crane‌ Thunders, in which he outlined the club’s business goals for this‌ season as a B.League club, and its status as it⁣ works ‍towards joining the B.Premier, the new B.League format that will be introduced in the 2025-26 season.

The intention behind acquiring the‍ players was explained⁣ as follows: After examining the fact that‌ last season⁤ the​ team ‍won‌ 31​ games ⁢but fell short of the 35 wins required‌ to‌ qualify for the championship, the team has ‌decided‌ to reorganize its team with a focus on ⁤three areas: ⁢defense, rebounding,‍ and three-point‍ shooting.

Regarding business goals‌ and outlook for the B ‌Premier League, he reported that although the ​club has yet to play in the championship in its history, the club grew significantly last season, ⁤and fully met the conditions for joining the B Premier League’s highest category,⁣ B League, which are a home arena, ‍sales of⁢ 1.2 billion yen, and an⁢ average attendance of over 4,000 people. He also ⁣reported ⁢that⁤ sales stability, which ‌will lead to improved team performance, is expected to reach 2 billion yen due to the growth of the fan​ club, and that⁢ the average attendance (5,244 people) has placed third ⁣in the ​league, surpassing the ‍top ‌clubs, and ​expressed​ his gratitude for‌ the great support from the fans.

Captain Announcement

The captain who ​will lead the Thunders ​to victory this season is Naoto Tsuji, one of the league’s most⁣ popular “party guys,” who is in his second year with the team.

Comment from new captain Naoto Tsuji: “I think⁢ Head Coach Kyle’s basketball style is the one that allows‍ me to play ⁣the best at what I’m good​ at, and ⁤after working together with‌ him for two years (in Hiroshima), I think he understands my strengths ⁢and weaknesses, and I think he ⁤understands me as a​ person, so I’m glad he ‌came.”

2024-25 Season ​Slogan Announcement

Head coach Kyle Milling‍ announced this season’s slogan. ‍This season’s slogan is “THE ONE.” It expresses the team’s unified determination ​to⁣ make every win, minute, ‌and second count.

The Thunders ⁤are ready‌ to fight through this season. It’s going‌ to be a long season, but we appreciate your continued support!