A first-year franchise goes through a number of ups and downs and doesn’t have past collective experiences to draw upon.

So each expansion team has a unique story all its own.

Exhibit A: The Fukushima Firebonds.

This column about the Firebonds was posted on The Japan Times website earlier this week.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2015/05/05/basketball/bj-league/fukushima-makes-great-progress-first-season/#.VU260o7tmkp