The Ryukyu Golden Kings are headed to their third consecutive East Asia Super League season and a fourth straight B.LEAGUE Finals appearance after taking down the No. 2 overall seed San-En Neophoenix in three games.

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After narrowly dropping Game 1, 87–85, Ryukyu was on the brink of elimination in Game 2 before Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki hit a miraculous game-tying shot to force overtime at 79–79. The Golden Kings pulled through in extra time, winning 100–98, and then sealed the series in Game 3, 77–69.

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Ryukyu capped off another strong regular season by finishing atop the B.LEAGUE Western District with a 46–14 record. In the first round of the playoffs, they defeated the Shimane Susanoo Magic before rallying to win their semifinal series against San-En.

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Now officially qualified for EASL 2025–26, Ryukyu looks to build on its impressive 2024–25 campaign, which included its first-ever Final Four appearance. After going 5–1 in the group stage and entering the playoffs as a favorite, the Golden Kings fell short at the Final Four, losing both the semifinals and the third-place game to finish fourth. Still, it marked progress from their 2023–24 EASL debut, when they finished 3–3 and missed the postseason.

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The Golden Kings have been part of every era of EASL, including Super 8 (2017), Terrific 12 (2018), Champions Week (2023), and both full home-and-away seasons.

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The B.LEAGUE Finals tip off May 24 at Yokohama Arena, where Ryukyu will face the Utsunomiya Brex.