All on display:  Rows and rows to appeal to the crowds. 

At the Castle cake shop not far from our place, the choices for a slice of leisure can be overwhelming. 

Baseball players have many tones and colors to pick through at a sporting goods store. The leather gloves are enviably well-made, with thick and lasting cowhide.  But they come at a price.  Most of these gloves go for around $300.

Also lined up in rows were the members of the Ryukyu Golden Kings, the recent champions of the professional basketball league in Japan.  They made a victory appearance to sign autographs at our favorite Aeon shopping mall (where Kevin takes his Sunday aikido classes).

The Kings were good.  We watched a few games on TV, including the playoff rounds. They played the best team ball in the Basketball Japan League.  See this story.  When you mix tall imported talent with quick local guard play, the result can be sublime or it can be an ugly mess, with five guys trying to score on their own, with too many American guys yapping immaturely at the refs. 

The Kings figured out how to pass and play defense.  And how to keep their heads. They earned this crowded moment to be on display.

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