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Kenichi Sako

Kenichi Sako

Sako in 2015
Levanga Hokkaido
Position	Head coach
League	Japanese B.League
Personal information
Born	(1970-07-17) July 17, 1970 (age 54) Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	172 lb (78 kg)
Career information
High school	Hokuriku
College	Chuo University
Playing career	1993–2011
Position	Point guard
Coaching career	2014–present
Career history
As player:
1993–2002	Isuzu Motors Giga Cats
2002–2011	Aisin SeaHorses Mikawa
As coach:
2014–2017	Hiroshima Dragonflies
2017–2021	Japan national basketball team (assistant)
2021–present	Levanga Hokkaido
Career highlights and awards
As player: 12× Emperor's Cup winner (1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002–2004, 2007–2010) 9× JBL champion (1995–1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008) 3× JBL MVP (1995, 1996, 2000) 9× JBL Best Five (1995–2003) 2× JBL 3point field goals leader (1997, 2001) 2× JBL assists leader (1993, 1994) Japanese Inter High School champion (1998)
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Japan Asian Games 1994 Hiroshima Japan Summer Universiade 1995 Fukuoka Japan FIBA Asia Champions Cup 1996 Manila Isuzu Lynx

Kenichi Sako (佐古 賢一, born 17 July 1970) is a Japanese former basketball player and current coach.^[1] Nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", Sako played as point guard and is widely regarded as one of the best Japanese players in history,^[2] having won twelve Emperor's Cup titles and nine JBL championships. Representing the Japan national team, Sako played at one FIBA World Cup in 1998, and won one silver and one bronze medal at the FIBA Asia Cup. He was enshrined into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2020, becoming the first Japanese player to be inducted.^[3]

After leading his high school team to the national championship in 1998, Sako began his career with the Isuzu Motors Giga Cats, where he played for nine seasons. His second team were the SeaHorses Mikawa.^[4]

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