For the Levanga Hokkaido, the infusion of new players and a new head coach has invigorated the pro basketball team. Former NBA center Jahlil Okafor and sharpshooter Keisei Tominaga are cornerstones of the team's impressive play, with both having stellar first seasons with the B.League club.
Credit Levanga president Takehiko Orimo, general manager Ryota Sakurai and head coach Torsten Loibl for orchestrating the team's overhaul and rapid development into a playoff-caliber squad.
Hokkaido went 21-39 in the 2024-25 B.League campaign.
As of this writing, Loibl's team has won 11 consecutive games. The Levanga improved to 18-4 with a 109-85 victory over the visiting Toyama Grouses on Saturday, December 13. They are tied for the best record in the 13-team Eastern Conference with the reigning champion Utsunomiya Brex and the Chiba Jets.
Saturday's triumph was a snapshot of Hokkaido's season: Tominaga paced the hosts with a game-high 28-point effort. It's also noteworthy that the University of Nebraska alumni, who played on the NBA G League's Indiana Mad Ants (like Okafor in 2024-25), is thriving in the team's high-paced offense.
With more than one-third of the team's games completed for 2025-26, Tominaga is the highest-scoring Japanese player (18.8 points per game, eighth overall) in the 26-team B.League first division.
His effectiveness as a first option on offense is a key part of the club's overall success. The Levanga are averaging 89.0 points, trailing only the Nagasaki Velca (94.0) in that category.
Benefiting From the Skills of Jahlil Okafor
Experienced basketball talent evaluators recognized that the 211-cm Okafor fit the bill as an excellent signing by the Levanga in the summer of 2025.
Eurobasket News summed up Okafor's hoops skills this way: "Overall, Okafor is a well-rounded player who can make a significant impact on the game. A talented, strong inside player, polished in the post and active on the glass, allows for a formidable inside-out game with the perimeter players."
As predicted, Okafor's vast array of skills as a scorer and offensive player have meshed seamlessly with Tominaga, Filipino swingman Dwight Ramos and American forward Kevin Jones, among others.
His inside presence creates space for Levanga teammates to operate around the 3-point arc and attack the basket, too.
For example, Tominaga leads the team in 3-point attempts (7.0 per game). But he also takes an average of 8.4 shots a game from 2-point range, launching mid-range shots and from even closer spots on the floor.
In July, GM Sakurai called Okafor a "key inside player."
"His size, skill and scoring ability are all top-tier," Sakurai said in a news release, "and his dominant performances are sure to thrill everyone watching."
Bold Predictions About Jahlil Okafor
Others predicted greatness for Jahlil Okafor in Japan.
From all I've seen, read and heard over the past six months about Okafor and the next chapter of his basketball career in Japan, the most resounding statement came from JR Sakuragi.
"[He's] one of my favorite players to watch because of his high-skill level in the post," the retired former UCLA, NBA and Japan pro hoops player wrote on X. "The novice spectator will not be able to fully appreciate his ability."
"If he remains healthy," Sakuragi wrote, "he will easily be the best player in the B.League. Probably the best player to ever play in Japan."
Sakuragi, a naturalized Japanese whose given surname is Henderson, is widely recognized as one of the all-time great pros to compete in Japan. His insights carry credibility.
Before he retired for the first time in 2020, he made a name for himself with sustained excellence on powerhouse Aisin SeaHorses squads in the JBL and NBL eras. Sakuragi continued his career into the B.League era with the team now known as the SeaHorses Mikawa.
Maximizing Efficiency on the Court
The Levanga haven't asked Okafor to take 30 shots and grab 20 rebounds every game. Instead, his game is a showcase of efficient, consistent play.
Take good shots. Make smart passes. Utilize size and strength to set screens for teammates, freeing them up for quality scoring chances.
What's mentioned just above are trademarks of Okafor's overall contributions. He's averaging 15.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 22 games. And he's also shooting 64.5% from the floor.
For Okafor, who starred on Duke University's 2014-15 national championship squad, a few major statistical highlights since the season tipped off include a trio of games:
- October 26: 9-for-10 shooting and 21 points against the Sendai 89ers;
- November 2: 12-for-13 shooting and 27 points versus the Osaka Evessa;
- And November 15: 9-for-11 shooting and 20 points against the Shimane Susanoo Magic.
Asked about his near-perfect shooting performance on the road against the Evessa, Okafor shied away from dishing out individual praise.
"I don't really evaluate myself much," the No 3 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft said after Hokkaido's 102-82 win. "The team won today, and that's the most important thing. I'm happy about that."
A Team-First Approach
Having competed at basketball's highest level in the NBA (2015-21 and one game in the 2024-25 season ー he suited up for five teams and appeared in 248 games), Okafor knows what it takes to be a team-first player.
Ball movement and unselfish play are hallmarks of Hokkaido's high-octane offense.
"The flow of our team plays was really good," Okafor told reporters after the 20-point rout of Osaka, a game in which Loibl's squad built a 53-32 lead by halftime.
"My teammates passed to me at great times," added Okafor, who averaged an NBA career-high 17.5 points as a rookie for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2015-16. "When I drew double teams and passed out, they hit 3s at a high rate. Overall, that was a big factor."
Despite Okafor's unselfish play in the early weeks of the 2025-26 season, Loibl has encouraged the team's starting center to be a bit more aggressive on offense. After all, he has the ability to take over games and lift his team.
Naturally, Hokkaido's bench boss was pleased with how Okafor played in his highest-scoring effort of the season.
"His playing style is that of a team player, so he tended to prioritize passing to his teammates first," Loibl said in a postgame news conference on November 2. "This isn't the NBA, where the other four players might be superstars."
Loibl added, "This team isn't like that, so I wanted him to be a bit more aggressive scoring inside. I think he showed that kind of performance today."
It was also a reminder that a decade after he was honored as the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Jahlil Okafor is still in his prime as a professional athlete.
He turns 32 on Monday, December 15.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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