Ibaraki Robots Announce Contract Agreement with #12 Kento Akama
The Ibaraki Robots professional basketball team has announced a three-year contract agreement with player Kento Akama, starting from the 2026-27 season. Akama, the 2nd pick in the first round of the 2026 B.LEAGUE DRAFT, played as a special designated player in the 2025-26 season. His shooting and offensive skills were highly praised, proving his capabilities at the B1 level despite being only 20 years old. General Manager Yoshihisa Ochi expressed his expectation for Akama to become a future star of the team and the league.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 16, 2026 at 00:01
- 🔍 Collected: May 15, 2026 at 15:32
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 17, 2026 at 07:42 (40h 10m after Collected)
The Ibaraki Robots have reached a player contract agreement with #12 Kento Akama for the Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2026-27 season.
The contract period will be for three years, through the 2028-29 season.
#12 Kento Akama
Position: SG
Height/Weight: 189cm/81kg
Date of Birth: June 19, 2005
Birthplace: Fukuoka Prefecture
Alma Mater: Tokai University
Career History:
2026.2- Ibaraki Robots *Contracted as a Special Designated Player for the 2025-26 season
Comment from Kento Akama:
"Joining as a special designated player this season and being able to play for the Robots has been a great experience, and I am very grateful to have played in front of so many fans and boosters. Thank you very much.
I will work on my challenges during this offseason and aim to come back even stronger. I appreciate your continued support next season."
Comment from GM Yoshihisa Ochi:
"We have signed Kento Akama, whom we selected as the second pick in the first round of the B.LEAGUE DRAFT 2026 and obtained priority negotiation rights for, to a three-year contract (with a player option) starting from the 2026-27 season.
After being drafted, Akama played as a special designated player and, despite being only 20 years old, became a part of the team's rotation. He contributed to the team's victories with his shooting ability, including three-pointers, and his exceptional offensive skills, electrifying the entire arena and proving he can excel in the B1 league.
We are very pleased that Akama will start his professional career with the Ibaraki Robots.
We expect him to make further leaps and grow on both offense and defense to eventually become the 'face' of the team and a leading player in the league. Please look forward to Akama's continued success and future achievements."
We also report that although we promptly signed a professional contract with Akama for the 2026-27 season and beyond after acquiring his draft rights, the announcement was delayed to coordinate with the releases of other player signings.
The contract period will be for three years, through the 2028-29 season.
#12 Kento Akama
Position: SG
Height/Weight: 189cm/81kg
Date of Birth: June 19, 2005
Birthplace: Fukuoka Prefecture
Alma Mater: Tokai University
Career History:
2026.2- Ibaraki Robots *Contracted as a Special Designated Player for the 2025-26 season
Comment from Kento Akama:
"Joining as a special designated player this season and being able to play for the Robots has been a great experience, and I am very grateful to have played in front of so many fans and boosters. Thank you very much.
I will work on my challenges during this offseason and aim to come back even stronger. I appreciate your continued support next season."
Comment from GM Yoshihisa Ochi:
"We have signed Kento Akama, whom we selected as the second pick in the first round of the B.LEAGUE DRAFT 2026 and obtained priority negotiation rights for, to a three-year contract (with a player option) starting from the 2026-27 season.
After being drafted, Akama played as a special designated player and, despite being only 20 years old, became a part of the team's rotation. He contributed to the team's victories with his shooting ability, including three-pointers, and his exceptional offensive skills, electrifying the entire arena and proving he can excel in the B1 league.
We are very pleased that Akama will start his professional career with the Ibaraki Robots.
We expect him to make further leaps and grow on both offense and defense to eventually become the 'face' of the team and a leading player in the league. Please look forward to Akama's continued success and future achievements."
We also report that although we promptly signed a professional contract with Akama for the 2026-27 season and beyond after acquiring his draft rights, the announcement was delayed to coordinate with the releases of other player signings.