December 4, 2024 — Okinawa Arena 

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Storylines: 

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Busan’s Back In Business 

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For the first time this East Asia Super League (EASL) season, Busan KCC has weathered the injury bug and is slated to return two starters. Forwards Choi Jun Yong (ankle) and Song Kyo Chang (left hand) will likely feature in the Egis’ third EASL outing against Ryukyu. 

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With Choi and Song sidelined for most of the 2024-25 season, KCC’s frontcourt has struggled with a noticeable lack of depth. This weakness has been evident in their 0-2 record in the EASL. Domestically, the Egis are 5-6 in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), currently sitting in 5th place in the regular season standings.

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To maintain a presence in the paint, the team signed KBL veteran Leon Williams on Oct. 15. Williams has impressed so far, averaging 15 points and 14.5 rebounds in EASL play. However, the team faces a major challenge: there’s no one to back him up. At 38-years-old, Williams is also logging heavy minutes, averaging 36 per game.

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KCC faces a tough challenge against Ryukyu's standout frontcourt trio of Jack Cooley, Alex Kirk, and Keve Aluma. However, with the support of Choi and Song alongside Williams, their chances improve considerably.

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Golden Kings Continue To Chase Perfection

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On Dec. 4, against Busan KCC, Ryukyu has a chance to secure its third straight victory and equal its win total from the 2023-24 EASL season. Despite being tested in their first two games — narrowly defeating the Meralco Bolts and Macau Black Bears by a combined margin of just six points — the Golden Kings have maintained a surprising sense of control as the 2024-25 campaign approaches its midway point.

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From Aluma and Cooley to star guard Ryuichi Kishimoto and versatile forward Vic Law, the 2022-23 B. LEAGUE champions are stacked with talent. Offensively, Ryukyu dominates in the paint and consistently finds high-quality shots. Defensively, the Golden Kings are relentless, seamlessly adjusting between disciplined half-court sets and aggressive full-court presses whenever necessary. 

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In addition to making franchise history, Ryukyu is also eyeing EASL history. A win over KCC  would put the team halfway to a perfect 6-0 season — a rare feat achieved only once before. The Chiba Jets, another B.LEAGUE team, accomplished this during the 2023-24 season, ultimately capping it off with a championship victory. Can the Golden Kings do the same? 

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Ryukyu’s Shooting Woes 

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Ryukyu has been tough to criticize this season. Under long-time head coach Dai Oketani, the team plays a commendable brand of basketball, emphasizing teamwork and consistently preventing significant scoring runs by opponents. However, one notable weakness for the Golden Kings has been their 3-point shooting, with the team averaging a modest 33.5% from beyond the arc.

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It’s not that Ryukyu lacks capable shooters. Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki, Shota Onodera, and Masahiro Waki are all excellent catch-and-shoot marksmen. Additionally, if Kishimoto can’t find them for open looks, he’s more than capable of creating his own shot off the dribble. However, this hasn’t translated effectively on the court and the issue isn’t limited to EASL play either. Domestically, the Golden Kings are shooting just 31% from three-point range despite attempting nearly 28 threes per game.

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While most of Ryukyu's success comes in the paint, where they’re shooting an impressive 48%, relying too heavily on a shot that isn’t consistently falling could backfire. If they continue relying on errant 3-point shooting, the missed attempts may eventually catch up with them.

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Ryukyu Golden Kings’ Players To Watch: 

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#45 Jack Cooley — Center, 6-foot-10 

• 2024-25 EASL Averages: 21 points, 13 rebounds, 1.5 assists
• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Season Averages: 11.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists
• 2022-23 B.LEAGUE Champion
• Joined the Ryukyu Golden Kings in 2019
• 2019 FIBA Europe Cup Champion with Dinamo Sassari (ITA)
• 2012 Second-Team All-Big East with Notre Dame
• 2012 Big East Most Improved Player with Notre Dame
• Cooley spent time with the Utah Jazz (2015) and the Sacramento Kings (2017-18) after going undrafted in 2013.
• Cooley attended college at the University of Notre Dame (2009-2013)
• Cooley is from Evanston, Illinois, USA.

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#18 Masahiro Waki — Forward, 6-foot-4

• 2024-25 EASL Averages: 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2 assists
• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Season Averages: 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists 
• Joined the Ryukyu Golden Kings in 2023 
• Previously played for the B.LEAGUE’s Ibaraki Robots (2021-22) 
• 2-time All-Japan University Basketball Champion (2021, 2023)
• Waki attended Hakuoh University 
• Waki is from Kumamoto, Japan 

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#4 Vic Law — Forward, 6-foot-6 

• 2024-25 EASL Averages: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists
• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Averages: 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists
• Joined the Ryukyu Golden Kings in 2023-24
• Played for the B.LEAGUE’s Chiba Jets during the 2022-23 season
• 2022 All-NBL (AUS, NZL) First Team
• 2020 All-NBA G-League Third Team
• 2017 Big-Ten All-Defensive Team with Northwestern University
• Law spent time with the Orlando Magic (2020) after going undrafted in 2019
• Law attended college at Northwestern (2014-2019)
• Law is from Chicago, Illinois, USA.

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Busan KCC Egis’ Players To Watch: 

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#2 Choi Jun Yong — Forward, 6-feet-6

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: Choi is scheduled to make his EASL debut against the Ryukyu Golden Kings on Dec. 4
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 10.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists
• 3x KBL Champion (2018, 2022, 2024)
• Choi joined the Busan KCC Egis in 2023
• 2022 KBL MVP 
• 2018 Asian Games Bronze Medalist 
• 2017 FIBA Asia Cup Bronze Medalist 
• Choi played for the Seoul SK Knights (2016-2023)
• Choi was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 KBL Draft 
• Choi attended Yonsei University 
• Choi is from Daegu, South Korea 

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#55 Song Kyo Chang — Forward, 6-feet-5

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: Song is scheduled to make his EASL debut against the Ryukyu Golden Kings on Dec. 4
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists
• 2023-24 KBL Champion 
• 2021 KBL MVP 
• 2021 KBL Regular Season Champion 
• 2-time KBL Best 5 (2020, 2021) 
• 2018 KBL Defensive Best 5 
• 2017 KBL Most Improved Player Award 
• Song joined the Busan KCC Egis in 2015 
• Song was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 KBL Draft 
• Song is from Yongin, South Korea 

#15 Deonte Burton — Forward, 6-foot-4 

• 2024-25 EASL Averages: 30.5 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists 
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists
• Burton joined KCC in 2024 
• Burton spent time in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2018-2020) and the Sacramento Kings (2023)
• 2018 KBL Foreign MVP 
• Burton began his professional career with the KBL’s Wonju DB Promy 
• Burton went undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft 
• 2017 Second-Team All-Big 12 
• 2016 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year 
• 2014 Big East All-Rookie Team 
• Burton attended Marquette (2013-2015) and Iowa State (2015-2017)
• Burton is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA 

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Ryukyu By The Numbers: 

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Team History

• Founded in 2007
• 2022-23 B.LEAGUE Champions
• 4x bj League Champions (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016)
• 6x bj League Western Conference Champions
• 2018 EASL The Terrific 12 Champions

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2024-25 EASL Statistic Leaders

• Points: Keve Aluma — 29 ppg 
• Rebounds: Keve Aluma, Jack Cooley — 13 rpg
• Assists: Ryuichi Kishimoto — 8.5 apg
• Steals: Ryuichi Kishimoto, Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki — 1.5 spg 
• Blocks: Vic Law — 3 bpg

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2024-25 EASL Results

• 1st in Group B 
• Group stage record: 2-0 
• Game 1: 77-74 win against Meralco Bolts (PBA) — Oct. 16, 2024 
• Game 2: 96-93 win against Macau Black Bears (Macau SAR) — Oct. 30, 2024 

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2024-25 B.LEAGUE Statistic Leaders

• Points: Vic Law — 15.3 ppg
• Rebounds: Jack Cooley — 9.8 rpg
• Assists: Vic Law — 4.1 ppg 
• Steals: Vic Law — 1.1 spg
• Blocks: Jack Cooley — 0.9 bpg

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2024-25 B.LEAGUE Record 

• 2nd in B.LEAGUE’s Western Conference
• Record: 11-5  
• Latest Game: 93-80 loss against the Chiba Jets (B.LEAGUE) — Dec. 1, 2024 

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2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games

• Home vs. Busan KCC Egis (KBL) — Dec. 4, 2024 
• Home vs. New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+) — Dec. 25, 2024 
• Away vs. New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+) — Jan. 8, 2025 
• Away vs. Meralco Bolts (PBA) — Jan. 22, 2025 

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Busan KCC By The Numbers: 

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Team History

• Founded in 1978 
• 6-time KBL Champions 
• 5-time KBL Regular Season Champions 
• 2023 KBL Cup Winners 

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2024-25 EASL Statistic Leaders

• Points: Deonte Burton — 30.5 ppg
• Rebounds: Leon Williams — 14.5 rpg 
• Assists: Deonte Burton — 8 apg 
• Steals: Deonte Burton — 3.5 spg
• Blocks: Deonte Burton — 1.5 bpg 

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2024-25 EASL Results 

• 5th in Group A 
• Group stage record: 0-2
• Game 1: 111-97 loss against Macau Black Bears (Macau SAR) — Oct. 30, 2024 
• Game 2: 81-80 loss against Meralco Bolts (PBA) — Nov. 13, 2024 

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2024-25 KBL Statistic Leaders

• Points: Deonte Burton — 16.1 pgg
• Rebounds: Deonte Burton — 9.6 rpg
• Assists: Choi Jun Yong — 4.7 apg 
• Steals: Deonte Burton — 1.5 spg 
• Blocks: Deonte Burton — 1.6 bpg

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2024-25 KBL Record 

• 5th in KBL Standings
• Record: 6-6  
• Latest Game: 74-67 win against the Goyang Sono Skygunners (KBL) — Dec. 1, 2024  

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2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games

• Away vs. Meralco Bolts (PBA) — Nov. 13, 2024
• Away vs. Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) — Dec. 4, 2024
• Home vs. Meralco Bolts (PBA) — Dec. 18, 2024
• Home vs. Macau Black Bears (Macau SAR) — Jan. 15, 2025
• Home vs. New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+) — Jan. 21, 2025