The is a Japanese professional basketball team in Kumamoto. The team competes in the B.League One, the second division of the B.League, as a member of the Southern Conference. The team name 'Kumamoto Volters' is a coined term combining 'VOLCANO' and 'WATER'. 'VOLCANO' refers to Mount Aso, one of the world’s leading caldera volcanoes, while 'WATER' refers to the abundant underground water, represented by Sirakawa Spring, a representative source of underground water, produced by Mount Aso. Both elements are positioned as symbols representing Kumamoto.
Kumamoto Volters have experienced one district championship in the B.League's second division and have advanced to the promotion playoffs to the first division six times.
The B.League helds 60 games per season, and during the 2024 - 25 season, the Kumamoto Volters drew a total attendance of 101,758, with an average of 3,392 spectators per games.
History
Prior to the Club’s Establishment Satosi Yunoue, who had been a junior high school teacher, was so impressed by the local enthusiasm for the NBA when he went to the United States to study educational techniques that he developed a strong desire to establish a professional basketball team in his hometown of Kumamoto. Yunoue resigned from teaching, and in 2009, an NPO was founded as a preparatory step toward establishing the club.
In September 2012, when the Yunoue's organization was approved to join the newly established domestic league, the National Basketball League(NBL), set to launch the following year in Japan, Yunoue founded Kumamoto Basketball Co., Ltd. as club's parent organization. The team was named 'Kumamoto Volters' throuth a public name contest.
The NBL Era
2013-2014 season The 12 teams were divided into two conferences—Eastern and Western—each consisting of six teams, and played a 54-games season. the Kumamoto Volters belonged to the Western conferences. Led by head coach Norm de Silva, the team entered the season with a mix of Japanese players and foreign imports, including Lamont Jones, DeVaughn Washington and Thomas Baudinet. However, the team struggled significantly, suffering a club-record 20-games losing streak. As a result, de Silva was dismissed mid-season, and the Volters finished with a record of 6 wins and 48 losses, placing 6th in the western conference.
2014-2015 season As in the previous season, the 12 teams were divided into Eastern and Western conferences and played a 54-game schedules. The Volters remained in the western conference. under new head coach Yosinori Simizu and assistant coach Takayuki Yasuda, the team entered the season with a mix of Japanese players and foreign imports, including Garlon Green, Cyril Awere and Joshu Warren. However, the team continued to struggle, suffering a series of losing streaks—14, 12, and 11 games respectively—making the second, third, and fourth worst in club history. They finished the season with the same record as the previous year: 6 wins and 48 losses, placing 6th in the western conference.
2015-2016 season The league abolished East - West conference system and adopted a round-robin format in which all 12 teams played 55 games. The Volters continued under head coach Yosinori Simizu and assistant head coach Takayuki Yasuda. The team entered the season with a mix of Japanese players and foreign imports, including DeVaughn Washington, Joshua Crawford and Tshilidzi Nephawe. Although they suffered an eight-game losing streak, they showed signs of improvement by securing 13 wins.
However, the Kumamoto earthquakes struck during the season, causing extensive damage throughout Kumamoto Prefecture. As it became impossible to continue playing under the circumstances, the Volters withdrew from the remainder of the season and finished with a record of 13 wins, 36 losses, and 6 forfeits. They placed 10th among the 12 teams in the league. Kumamoto Basketball Co., Ltd. faced an existential crisis, but thanks to strong support from local and nationwide fans, the organization overcame the adversity. +SeasonHead CoachWLW%GBptspts allowedpt diffentialconf. rankingoverall rankingtotal attendanceaverage attendancenote2013-14Norm de Silva→Sinji TomiyamaAt the time, he was serving as an assistant coach. Following the Norman de Silva on March 28, 2014, he was appointed interim head coach. The team continued its losing streak, and he was dismissed on April 4.→Satosi Yunoue648.11135.0(23.0)4,0284,901 -8736/612/1237,1011,3252014-15Yosinori Simizu648.11137.0(28.0)3,7094,540 -9516/612/1237,3411,3832015-16Yosinori Simizu1336.26530.03,4523,828 -373 -10/1240,3061,550forfeited 6 games
The B.League Era In 2016, Japan's professional basketball leagues were unified to form the B.League. A total of 36 teams were divided into two divisions, with each division further split into three geographic conferences: East, Central, and West. The Kumamoto Volters were placed in the B2 western conference, the lower of the two divisions. The total number of games in the season increased from 55 to 60.
2016-2017 season Takayuki Yasuda appointed head coach, and the team entered the season with a mix of Japanese players and foreign imports, including Paul Butorac, Reggie Warren and Joel James. After opening the season with three consecutive wins followed by a losing streak, the team made a remarkable surge, recording a club-record 13-game winning streak. Although their momentum slowed in the latter half of the season, they finished with a 44-16 record. Despite placing 3rd in their division and 5th overall, they did not qualify for the postseason.
2017-2018 season The B2 division maintained to operate with 18 teams divided into three geographic conferences, The Volters competed in the Western Conference.
Takayuki Yasuda remained as head coach, and the team entered the season with a mix of Japanese players and foreign imports, including Joel James, Josh Duinker, Terrance Woodbury, and Jordan Vandenberg. While the team struggled slightly in the first half, they gained momentum and went on a winning streak. Despite a six-game losing skid late in the season, the Volters finished with a 41-19 record, placing 2nd in the B2 Western Conference and 3rd overall, securing a spot in the postseason.
In the playoffs, they were eliminated in the semifinals. However, since the two teams that advanced to the finals did not hold licenses for promotion to the upper division, the Volters earned the right to play in the promotion/relegation game by winning the third-place game. They narrowly missed promotion after losing the match by three points.
2018-2019 season The B2 division maintained its three-conference structure consisting of 18 teams, with the Volters continuing to compete in the West Conference.
Head coach Takayuki Yasuda continued at the helm for the season. The team re-signed Josh Duinker and acquired Chehales Tapscott and Scott Morrison to bolster the roster. Maintaining a winning percentage above 70% throughout the majority of the season, the team concluded the regular season with a 45–15 record, clinching the first division title in club history and advancing to the postseason.
The Volters pushed their playoff semifinal series to a decisive Game 3, but were narrowly defeated by a one-point margin. However, as neither of the two teams that advanced to the Final held the required B1 license for promotion, the right to move up to the top division was granted to the winner of the third-place game. In that series, the Volters dropped Game 1 in overtime and were defeated again in Game 2, falling short of promotion. Head coach Takayuki Yasuda, who had declared prior to the season that this would be his final year if promotion was not achieved, stepped down following the conclusion of the campaign.
2019-2020 season The B2 division maintained its three-conference structure consisting of 18 teams, with the Volters continuing to compete in the West Conference.
Under newly appointed head coach Nenad Vučinić, the Volters entered the season with new foreign signings Bobby Jones, Gavin Ware, and David Weaver. The team suffered a loss in the season opener, and in the second round, a key Japanese player sustained a serious injury. Compounding their early struggles, Bobby Jones—who had been expected to be a primary scorer—failed to adjust to the playing environment in Japan and departed the team in November. As a result, the Volters endured a seven-game losing streak, their longest since joining the B.League.
The team faced difficulties in securing a replacement for Jones, and after a short stint with Jahmar Thorpe, they finally succeeded in bringing in Marqus Blakely. However, the team's performance failed to improve. Further setbacks followed as the season was interrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19, eliminating opportunities for a late-season turnaround.
Although the season eventually resumed behind closed doors as the pandemic temporarily subsided, the Volters were unable to regain momentum and continued to struggle. With the resurgence of infections nationwide, the season was ultimately canceled. The Volters finished with a record of 20–27, placing 4th in the B2 West Conference. The postseason was not held, and promotion rights were awarded to the top two teams in the regular season standings—meaning the Volters once again fell short of promotion.
2020-2021 season The B2 division was restructured into a two-conference format consisting of 16 teams, divided into East and West. The Volters were assigned to the West Conference.
In September 2020, due to health reasons, Satosi Yunoue—the founder of the Volters—stepped down as president of Kumamoto Basketball Co., Ltd. His successor was Taturou Nisii, who had served as the team’s general manager since its inception and now assumed a dual role as president. Head coach Nenad Vučinić remained in charge, and the team brought in Marvelle Harris, Evan Ravenel, and David Doblas for the season. However, due to complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vučinić, Harris, and Ravenel were unable to enter Japan in time for the season.
As a result, assistant coach Osamu Okada was urgently appointed as acting head coach, with Jun Hasizume stepping into the assistant coach role. To temporarily fill the foreign player slots, the team signed Daniel Orton and Chris Olivier on short-term contracts. Vučinić did not rejoin the team on-site but instead served as an advisory coach, providing guidance and strategy remotely.
Shortly before the season opener, a COVID-19 case was detected within the team, forcing a temporary suspension of all team activities and resulting in limited preparation ahead of the season. The team started off strong through Round 4, but frequent injuries soon disrupted momentum. The departure of Harris mid-season further impacted performance, although the gap was later filled by Shaheed Davis. Nevertheless, injuries continued to plague the team, with multiple players placed on the injured list.
In March 2021, head coach Okada also stepped away due to health issues, with assistant coach Hasizume taking over head coaching duties. However, the team’s struggles persisted, culminating in an 11-game losing streak. The Volters finished the season 26–34, placing 6th in the B2 West Conference and failing to qualify for the postseason. Despite the challenges, the Volters—along with the Yamagata Wyverns of the B2 East—were one of only two teams across both B1 and B2 to complete all 60 scheduled games. During the same season, Japanese player Ryusei Sasaki of the Volters achieved the prestigious 50-40-90 milestone, marking an exceptional level of shooting efficiency.
2021-2022 season The B2 division was restructured into a two-conference format featuring 14 teams. The Volters were assigned to the West Conference.