Hiroshima Dragonflies have decided to cancel the contract with #4 Yasunori Aoki by mutual agreement, and will be leaving today, January 16, 2023 (Monday). In addition, it has been decided to join Sendai 89ERS as a transfer destination.
#4 Yasunori Aoki
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●Birthplace Shizuoka Prefecture
Date of birth June 23, 1995
●Position PG (point guard)
●Height 182cm
Weight 84kg
Alma mater Fukudai Ohori High School – University of Tsukuba
Career
Kawasaki Brave Thunders (2018-21)
-Hiroshima Dragonflies (2021-2023)
Comment from Yasunori Aoki
“I have decided to leave the Hiroshima Dragonflies midway through the season. Thank you very much to all the people involved, including the sponsors, supporters, and boosters who supported us.
Playing for this wonderful club has been an irreplaceable experience for me. From now on, I will use this experience to grow as a player and as a person. i love this team! ! Thank you very much for regarding a year and a half. I look forward to your continued support.”
Shuji Okazaki General Manager Comment
“At this time, we would like to inform you that the contract has been terminated by mutual agreement and Aoki will be transferred to the Sendai 89ERS. I feel that there are many people who will be able to do it.I apologize for the disappointing report to everyone who has been supporting and cheering me on a regular basis.
I would like to explain the circumstances of this case.
First of all, from the start of this season, there was a problem that the game control was not stable. For this reason, the club feels the need to bolster the point guard layer, and has been organizing during the season, including college students. Aoki’s playing time will be reduced in the competition with mid-season players who joined at the end of 2022. Even though his playing time has decreased, the presence of Aoki has allowed him to have a thicker point guard team, and his leadership and other influences on the team have been great, so the club will be the final player in the season. I would like to work with Aoki until now, and I was highly evaluated.
However, in Hiroshima, where everyone shares playing time and builds a style of winning with comprehensive strength, a significant decrease in the playing time of a specific player might affect the career of that player. I understand that, and the situation of searching for a solution has continued.
Under such circumstances, looking at the Sendai roster around the end of 2022, Sendai’s main point guard was injured, and Sendai wanted to reinforce that position. Sendai also had a strong offer to play with Aoki, so with the cooperation of various people, following the Hiroshima-Sendai game on New Year’s Day 2023, Hiroshima, Sendai, and Aoki played together. I decided to create an opportunity to talk. Transferring during the season must have been a very difficult decision for Aoki himself. He was worried regarding playing until the end of the season in Hiroshima and challenging himself in Sendai, but in the end he consulted that he was moved by the transfer to Sendai, so the club respects his decision as much as possible. I wanted to We understand that players have limited opportunities to play where they are more in demand and that this transfer decision is the best for their careers. Of course, as a club, we consider Aoki as a strength, and we thought that letting go of a roster player who can create depth would not be a plus, but considering Aoki, in the end, we decided to move to Sendai. I decided that the transfer should be arranged.
Even when his playing time decreased and we were talking regarding a transfer, Aoki continued to work hard and devoted himself to the team. On days when he might not enter matches, he would go to the gymnasium early in the morning and practice at a high intensity. . In the away match once morest Osaka Evessa, which was the final game for Aoki in Hiroshima, not only did all the players perform energetically, but Aoki himself won playing time and led the team to victory. From the point of view of the league as a whole, it was just one win of the season, but it was an unforgettable scene for the players, staff, and the club who gave their all. There is no doubt that he not only worked harder than anyone else, but also demonstrated leadership in both good and bad times for the team, supporting his other teammates and the club. I am truly grateful to Aoki, who never gave up and fought for Hiroshima. Parting with Aoki in the middle of the season is heartbreaking and a big loss for the team, but I want to send him off from the bottom of my heart. I sincerely pray for the success of Aoki’s career, who gave his all until the very end.”
