Current Evessa coach Ryan Blackwell recognizes that Ryukyu's Dai Oketani and Akita's Kazuo Nakamura, who are nearly 40 years apart, understand what it takes to be successful.
"Great players definitely help make a coach better . . . sometimes. People say Phil Jackson was only good because he had (Michael) Jordan, (Scottie) Pippen, Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal), and Kobe (Bryant)," Blackwell said. "You have to also manage the players the right way, control large egos and get them to co-exist.
"I think Dai does a good job managing his talent in Okinawa. He definitely has one of the most talented teams in the league but he manages them well and they seem to have a lot of respect for him. His teams are well balanced and seem to have really good chemistry."
"Great players definitely help make a coach better . . . sometimes. People say Phil Jackson was only good because he had (Michael) Jordan, (Scottie) Pippen, Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal), and Kobe (Bryant)," Blackwell said. "You have to also manage the players the right way, control large egos and get them to co-exist.
"I think Dai does a good job managing his talent in Okinawa. He definitely has one of the most talented teams in the league but he manages them well and they seem to have a lot of respect for him. His teams are well balanced and seem to have really good chemistry."
