Shiro Yoshii

Shiro Yoshii started playing basketball in 1929 inspired by his brother Seizaburo before he entered Tokyo Higher Normal School. After his brother fell ill and died, he started to develop his own style of playing, making up for the height disadvantage of Japanese players. Yoshii was selected to represent Japan in international meets tournaments and the 1940 Tokyo Olympics, which were cancelled due to the outbreak of the war. He was wounded in combat and retired from active competition after winning the All Japan Championship in 1947 with the Niigata Club. Yoshii started a coaching career at the Niigata High School for Girls before moving to the Tokyo University of Education in 1950. He led the university’s team to win national titles in 1955 and 1958.

Yoshii was then chosen to coach the Japanese national team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Subsequently, he was responsible for various teams in Japan including those of the Tokyo University of Education, the Industrial Bank of Japan, and Sumitomo Metal Industries, and was appointed professor at Saitama University. At an older age, he continued writing about basketball theory.