B.League All-Star Game: Daiki Tanaka Ignites B.White to Victory

Local hero Daiki Tanaka (193-SG-1991) shined in the 2026 B.League All-Star Game, helping lead B.White to a 133-122 victory over B.Black on Sunday, January 18 in Nagasaki. The Sunrockers Shibuya guard scored a team-best 29 points, including 9-for-16 from 3-point range, at Happiness Arena. Former NBA forward Yuta Watanabe (206-F-1994, college: GWU), who now plays for the Chiba Jets, scored the game's first points on a pair of free throws. A Watanabe dunk then gave B.White a 4-0 lead at the 9:44 mark of the first quarter. Tanaka scored 12 first-quarter points, going 4-for-4 from beyond the 3-point arc. In the free-flowing game, B.White took a 40-39 lead into the second quarter. Tanaka's team outscored B.Black 32-20 in the second quarter, extending its lead to 72-59 entering the second half. He had 18 points in the first half and was named B.League All-Star Game MVP.
After the game, Tanaka said he got into a good shooting rhythm from the get-go. "That first shot going in was everything. I think that's where I got into a good flow," the 34-year-old Tanaka told reporters. "Normally, I don't see myself as the type who can do something special in an All-Star Game like this. But today, since it was my hometown, and my teammates really wanted me to take a lot of shots, I wanted to do my best to meet those expectations." Tanaka, who shot 10-for-18 from the floor, was one of six B.White players with double-digit scoring efforts.
Shiga Lakes forward Zach Auguste (208-C-1993, college: Notre Dame) poured in 18 points and also had nine rebounds and eight assists. Watanabe and frontcourt mate Victor Law (201-F-1995, college: Northwestern) (Ryukyu Golden Kings) scored 14 points apiece. Shibuya big man Josh Hawkinson (208-F-1995, college: WSU) added 14 points and sharpshooter Yuta Okada (189-G-1998) (Shimane Susanoo Magic) chipped in with 10 points. Watanabe pulled down a team-best 12 rebounds to complete the double-double. Nagasaki Velca guard/forward Yudai Baba (196-SF-1995) led the victors with seven assists. In the victory-clinching fourth quarter, in which B.White had 39 points to B.Black's 29, 11 of the 13 B.White All-Star players scored points. Tanaka and Auguste were the team's high scorers in the final period with six points apiece. B.White captain Yuki Togashi (170-PG-1993) (Jets), the only 10-time All-Star selection in league history, contributed eight points and three assists. Veteran standout Tanaka, who helped guide the Alvark Tokyo to back-to-back B.League titles in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, was fired up about this game. And it fueled his desire to have a strong performance.
"When I heard this All-Star Game would be held in Nagasaki, it reminded me of my childhood," said Tanaka, who's averaging 8.7 points and 2.6 assists for the Sunrockers in the 2025-26 B.League season. "We didn't get many chances to see pro players up close. For young kids, seeing their idols and thinking, 'Wow, that's cool' it's a great opportunity. I'll say it again: I really hope lots of B.League players come out of Nagasaki's kids."

After the game, Tanaka told reporters that this All-Star Weekend was a joyful experience for him. "This was the All-Star Game I'd looked forward to the most ever, and I genuinely enjoyed these three days purely for the fun of it," the eight-time B.League All-Star said. "It really made me think, 'Home [court] is the best.' "
Shooting guard Keisei Tominaga (Levanga Hokkaido) paced B.Black with 31 points in 25-plus minutes off the bench. He sank 9 of 21 3s in the afternoon game and was chosen as the game's Most Impressive Player (MIP). Tominaga also handed out five assists. Alvark center Sebastian Saiz, a six-time All-Star, finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Swingman Christopher Smith (193-G-1994, college: Utah St.) (Hiroshima Dragonflies) had 17 points. Also for B.Black, Keita Imamura (191-G/F-1996) (Nagoya Diamond Dolphins), Naoto Tsuji (185-G/F-1989) (Gunma Crane Thunders) and Ryusei Shinoyama (178-PG-1988) (Kawasaki Brave Thunders) each scored nine points. Altiri Chiba point guard Kotetsu Kurokawa (175-G-2001) had an eight-point outing.
Having fun was a top priority for Tominaga in the annual All-Star Game. The second-year pro, who played in the NBA G League in the previous season, said afterward that he fulfilled his objective. He did so by incorporating entertainment into his offensive repertoire. "I was able to let loose even more than in regular games and had a blast," Tominaga, who's averaging 18.8 points per game this season (the league's sixth-highest scoring average), told reporters. "While you can celebrate during regular games, you have to get back on defense right away. Here, I could enjoy it in a different way."
Tominaga, a former University of Nebraska player, added, "Laughter and excitement are absolutely essential for the All-Star Game. I thought a regular 3-pointer might be a bit boring, so I tried things like shooting while turning around or shooting from a bit farther out." For the 188-cm Tominaga, nailing a high-arcing jumper over B.White's Hawkinson, who stands 208 cm, was a favorite moment in the game. "The best shot was definitely the first one," Tominaga stated. "I'd been wanting to make a shot over Josh Hawkinson since before the All-Star Game, so nailing it on my first attempt felt great. I have no regrets."
In the 3-Point Contest on Saturday, January 17, Kosuke Kanamaru (192-F/G-1989) (Saga Ballooners) won the five-player event, defeating Tominaga, Shinoyama, Makoto Hiejima (191-G/F-1990) (Utsunomiya Brex) and Yuma Kajiwara (180-PG-2007) (an Under-18 All-Star representative from the Shiga organization).
On the same day, Tyrell Sudo (184-G-2001) (Fighting Eagles Nagoya) triumphed in the Dunk Contest. The other contests were Makoto Sato (189-G-1997) (Crane Thunders), Francis Lopez (197-F/G-2003) (Fighting Eagles) and Anthony Gaines Jr. (195-G/F-1993, college: LCU) (Kagoshima Rebnise).
The B.League regular season resumes on Saturday, January 24 with all 26 first-division teams in action in weekend series-opening contests.
Courtesy of: japan-forward.com