2020 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Kenichi Sako

MIES (Switzerland) - Kenichi Sako, an inspirational player for many years in Japanese basketball as a fiery point guard and leader, is to be enshrined in the 2020 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Sako and eight other players - Isabelle Fijalkowski (France), Mieczyslaw Lopatka (Poland), Steve Nash (Canada), Agnes Nemeth (Hungary), Park Shin-ja (Korea), Modestas Paulauskas (Lithuania), Alexander Volkov (Ukraine) and Jure Zdovc (Slovenia) - are going into the Hall of Fame, as well as legendary coaches Ruben Magnano (Argentina), Svetislav Pesic (Serbia) and Tara Van Derveer (USA).

From the time he led his team to the 1988 National High School Championships title in Japan, much was expected of Sako and the playmaker delivered.

Kenichi Sako was electric on the hardwood with his clubs and also Japan

Known as "Mr. Basketball" for the many big victories he was a part of - three times he was named Most Valuable Player of the Japanese Basketball League - Sako is the second person from Japan to enter the FIBA Hall of Fame after 2007 inductee Yoshimi Ueda.

Sako was a big part of nine league championship-winning teams in the 1990s and 2000s, when he was on the books of Isuzu Motors Giga Cats and Aisin Sea Horses. Nine times he won JBL titles and 12 times he celebrated Emperors Cup championships.

Sako (No.7) played for Japan at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1998 in Athens, Greece

At the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 1996, he helped his team capture silver.

Sako was a good shooter, something he proved in both 1997 and 2001 when was the best three-pointer in the JBL. He was also a top-tier assists man, leading the JBL in that stat in 1993 and 1994.

Sako was, not surprising, a regular in the Japan national team.

"I was in shock," Sako said after learning he would go into the FIBA Hall of Fame. "At the same time, I feel so honored and am happy for that. This has not been achieved on my own. It could not have been done so without the support of all those many who have been associated with me including my coaches, teammates and those who cheered on me."

Sako was a player that always made something happen when the ball was in his hands

Sako retired from playing in 2011 and then got into coaching. He currently serves as an assistant coach to Julio Lamas, the coach of Japan.

Name	Kenichi SAKO
Category of Inductee	Player (Guard)
Date of birth	July 17, 1970
Place of birth	Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Height	1.80 m – 5ft 11in
Clubs	Isuzu Motors Giga Cats (1993 – 2002) Aisin SeaHorses Mikawa (2002 – 2011) [/unordered]
Club highlights	Japanese Inter High School champion (1998) Twelve-time Emperors Cup champion (1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) Nine-time JBL champion (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008) FIBA Asia Champions Cup silver medalist (1996) [/unordered]
National Team highlights	Asian Games bronze medalist (1994) Summer Universiade silver medalist (1995) Played in one FIBA World Cup (1998) FIBA Asia Cup bronze medalist (1995) FIBA Asia Cup silver medalist (1997) [/unordered]
Individual highlights	Three-time JBL MVP (1995, 1996, 2000) Nine-time JBL Best 5 (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) Two-time JBL 3point field goals leader (1997, 2001) JBL Free Throw shooting leader (2003) Two-time JBL Assist leader (1993, 1994) [/unordered]

FIBA