Japan basketball league shoots for fans in Philippines and rest of Asia

TOKYO -- Japan's professional basketball league is working to expand its fan base to other Asian markets such as the Philippines and Taiwan through marketing events and by bringing in more players from the region, hoping to raise revenue and profits.

The Japan Professional Basketball League, or B.League, is loosening its quota on non-Japanese Asian players. "Our ideal is for stars from as many countries as possible to play basketball in the league," Naoya Okamoto, B.League's executive officer for international business, told Nikkei Asia.