Ko TAKAHASHI

Adaptability and growth gained through overseas challenges

I started playing basketball in the first grade of elementary school. I admired my older brother and thought, “I want to play too!” Later, watching NBA games on TV was a major turning point for me in my goal to become a professional player.
After graduating from junior high school, I went to Vancouver, Canada. I really wanted to go to America, but at the time, Trump was about to become president, and my parents didn’t have a very good image of America. They said, “We’re worried about letting you go by yourself,” so I narrowed down my options to Canada, which seemed a little safer.
While I was still in junior high school, I went to Canada and visited three schools. From these, I decided to study abroad at Terry Fox Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is a 4A level school (the highest level) and where I felt I could make the most of my individuality and develop my strengths.

Terry Fox Secondary School Basketball team,League Championship

During my high school life in Vancouver, I faced a language barrier. I had taken English classes in Japan until the third year of junior high school, but actual communication was not easy. Depending on the class, the teacher would speak so quickly that I couldn’t understand at all. I was always on the edge, but I never failed to get a passing grade.
I had a lot of pressure going into the tryouts for the basketball team, because I knew that if I didn’t make it, I wouldn’t be able to play on the team for a year, but I went in with confidence. In the end, I put on such a good performance that I felt like I had “overwhelmed” them. I was selected for the team.
This experience of studying abroad had a big impact on my playing style and mentality. I felt that I was able to hone my strengths, as I was required to manage myself.

Professional Experience in Serbia: Learning from Adversity

OKK Novi Pazar in the first division of the Serbian league

After college I played professionally in Serbia.
The environment outside of basketball was harsh, and the whole city was old and smelt of cigarettes. It was like Japan 50 years ago. I stayed in a hotel, but it was a windowless room and I felt like I was in jail. When it rains, Wi-Fi does not work. When it rains heavily, the water also stops. I had no friends other than my teammates, and I couldn’t speak Serbian. It was tough.
But I learned a lot in terms of basketball. Serbian players are not athletic or very fast, but many of them have a high basketball IQ. I learned to play flexible tactics. I am small among the players at 169 cm tall, so there were many situations where I was at a disadvantage in terms of my physique. But on the contrary, it helped me grow. I really learned a lot from the stress of “I’m no good, I’m not good enough yet.”

My professional career in Japan: New discoveries

B.LEAGUE Levanga Hokkaido

After my experience in Serbia, I moved to Levanga Hokkaido, a team in the first division of the B.LEAGUE in Hokkaido. I was to play as a specially designated player.
First of all, I was surprised by the differences in the environment compared to Serbia. The number of staff members was completely different. There was a proper locker room, and the gym was clean. There were also various other things in place, and I was already impressed before practice.
I also noticed differences between Serbia and Japan in terms of the way we play and the rules. In particular, the rules are different, so there were some things that were a little difficult to do. In Serbia, it would be a foul, but in Japan it wouldn’t be. It was difficult to adjust to that.

As a point guard, I felt that the most important thing was communication on and off the court. I thought my role was to build relationships of trust with my teammates and foreign players, and to bring the team together as one.
Despite my small stature, I contributed to the team by making the most of my speed, jumping ability and aggressive play. On defense, I used my physical strength to aggressively play the way I wanted to play, and I also made sure to communicate quickly and accurately with my teammates. On offense, I tried to control the whole game and play with speed when necessary.
However, I also learned through experience that it’s not enough to be just good to play in a game. It’s also about timing, luck, teamwork, and the chemistry you have with your coach.
Unfortunately, my contract ended up to be one year, but when I thought about the reasons for this, my relationship with the coach was a big factor. I was told quite clearly that my contract would not be renewed. After the season, when I spoke with the coach about renewing my contract, he said, “I won’t be renewing your contract next year.” Although I had originally signed a one-year contract, this was an event that made me keenly aware of the harshness of professional life.
I worked really hard in training, but it wasn’t just about training. I should have communicated more and become friends with them. I was only thinking “I have to work hard! I have to work hard!” and I wasn’t able to be that considerate, but you have to build relationships first. The seniors were doing that well.

Goal-setting and challenges: Working to improve my jumping ability

Improving my jumping ability has always been an important goal in my basketball career. When I first touched the ring in my third year of junior high school, I was so happy. In high school, I practiced so hard that I was able to actually make a dunk. Of course, I made lots of mistakes, and I still do (laugh).
The reason I developed a training program to improve my jumping ability was because of the response to my dunk videos on Instagram. I had a lot of free time in Serbia (laugh), so I had the idea to make a video.
Once I put one out, it was really well received. Over 1000 people signed up. Then I thought I’d upload a video of my jump training, and the response just kept growing. That’s when I thought, “I’ve got to do this now!

Future Prospects

My goals are very clear. I feel it’s important to keep getting better, to be used more in games, and to always be a player who is needed by the team. I also want to continue playing in the B.LEAGUE until I’m 35 years old. My immediate goal is to continue playing in the B1 League, which is the top division of the B.LEAGUE. Since the B.LEAGUE was established a few years ago, the entire league has grown by leaps and bounds. I think there is a good chance that it will become one of the top leagues in Asia in the future.
My personal goal is to perform various dunks. I’m hoping to be able to do a 360 degree dunk, a technique in which you rotate your body once in mid-air while jumping for a dunk, before the end of this year.
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Through basketball, I have learned many things. The courage to jump into a new environment, the strength to overcome adversity, and the importance of continuing to work towards your goals. I think these experiences have contributed greatly to my personal growth as a person. Sometimes things are tough and things don’t go well. But if you keep working towards your goals, I believe that opportunities will come your way!
It would be a great joy if my experience would provide some inspiration to those who love basketball and to all those who continue to challenge themselves to follow their dreams.