Shiga Lakestars Debut Game vs. Osaka Evessa 2008.10.11
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Shiga LakeStars poster for home games at Shiga Prefectural Gym in Otsu.
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Shiga LakeStars bus.
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Shiga Prefectural Gym (Shiga Kenritsu Taiikukan) in Otsu, one of the home courts of the Shiga LakeStars. 滋賀県立体育館
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Stairs at Shiga Prefectural Gym
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Entrance to Shiga Prefectural Gym.
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The lobby had these life-size cutouts of the players.
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Jerseys for sale.
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LakeStars merchandise for sale.
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LakeStars merchandise included notebooks, towels, and stickers.
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Also T-shirts.
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Gym seating layout.
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Congratulatory flowers at the gym entrance.
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Shiga LakeStars and Osaka Evessa on court for warm-up.
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Shiga LakeStars and Osaka Evessa warming up.
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Shiga LakeStars warming up for their debut pro game on Oct. 11, 2008 against Osaka Evessa.
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Shiga LakeStars warming up.
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Osaka Evessa warming up. This was my first time to see a pro basketball game in Japan, and I was surprised to see how commercial it was. The court floor and rim are littered with ads.
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These people won the team naming contest. They proposed the name "LakeStars."
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Shiga LakeStars CEO speaks.
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The gym got dark and the cheerleaders appeared.
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Shiga LakeStars Cheerleaders
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The cheerleaders form a gauntlet for the players appearing on court.
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Shiga LakeStars players
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National anthem
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Tip-off at 4 pm.
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Dunk by Osaka Evessa
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I thought the LakeStars uniforms were nice, but the advertising was too prominent and "LakeStars" was hardly to be seen. It's hard to see what the name of the team is.
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Dunk by Ray Schafer
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The LakeStars took an early lead.
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Team bench
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Bobby Nash on defense
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The cheerleaders appeared whenever there was a time out, even for 20 sec.
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Risa リサ
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Lynn Washington, one of the league's top scorers, goes for the basket.
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Ogawa Shinya on defense
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Sato Hirotaka on defense
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Bobby Nash
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Bobby Nash is from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (my alma mater as well). His father is the current basketball coach at UH and was one of the Fabulous Five at UH during the early '70s.
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Magnee, Shiga LakeStars official mascot modeled after the Lake Biwa catfish. Kind of strange seeing a fish with two legs...
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Shiga Prefectural Gym in Otsu
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The LakeStars trailed Osaka for most of the game.
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Ryan Rourke
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Fujiwara Takamichi
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Ray Schafer is from Alaska, and at 213 cm tall, the tallest LakeStar.
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Lynn Washington of Osaka
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Cleanup
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Risa リサ
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Fujiwara Takamichi
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Huddle
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Brayden Bilbe for free throw. He's from the state of Washington.
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Defense!
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Ray Schafer for free throw
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Fujiwara Takamichi
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Bobby Nash
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Brayden Bilbe
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Ray Schafer got him covered.
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Halftime show
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Kaorin カオリン
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Sayo サヨ
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Risa リサ
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Ray Schafer for free throw.
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Fujiwara Takamichi
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Brayden Bilbe for free throw.
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Fujiwara Takamichi
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Nicknamed "Wara," Fujiwara Takamichi is from Fukuoka and played for Niigata Albirex BB before coming to Shiga.
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Ray Schafer blocking a shot.
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Ogawa Shinya is a local boy from Nagahama, Shiga.
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Ogawa Shinya is a point guard.
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Ogawa Shinya
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Head coach Robert Pierce.
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Kojima Yuta
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Bobby Nash
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Bobby Nash
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Bobby Nash for free throw.
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Shiga LakeStars boosters.
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Bobby Nash
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Bobby Nash
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Brayden Bilbe
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The cheerleaders all look nice and pretty, but it's hard to tell them apart. They look almost the same. They all have long, black hair (which often cover their faces), all slender, and about the same height and weight.
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Most of the cheerleaders were recruited from Shiga and Kyoto.
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Fujiwara Takamichi
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Shiga LakeStars official mascot, Magnee (modeled after the Lake Biwa catfish).
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Ryan goes for a 3-pointer.
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Brayden
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Fans cheer on, and roar whenever the LakeStars score.
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Shiika シィカ
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Aimi アイミ
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Final score, LakeStars 78, Osaka 81. The LakeStars lose their debut game by a heartbreaking 3 points.
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LakeStars and Evessa player shake hands after the game.
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Coach Robert Pierce comments in English about the game. He also speaks some Japanese.
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Team captain Fujiwara Takamichi speaks.
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