Koh Flippin

Koh Flippin
コー・フリッピン
Flippin with Gunma in 2025.
No. 1 – Gunma Crane Thunders
PositionPoint guard / Shooting guard
LeagueB.League
Personal information
Born (1996-05-20) May 20, 1996 (age 30)
Torrance, California, U.S.
Listed height
188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Listed weight
75 kg (165 lb)
Career information
High schoolNorth Torrance
CollegeCalifornia, Riverside
Doane
Career history
2019–2021Chiba Jets
2021–2023Ryukyu Golden Kings
2023–Gunma Crane Thunders
Career highlights

John Alexander Koh Flippin, also known simply as Koh Flippin (コー・フリッピン, Kō Furippin), is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays for the Gunma Crane Thunders of the B.League.

Early life and education

John Alexander Koh Flippin was born in Torrance, California in the United States on May 20, 1996. His father is American while his mother is Japanese. While he was raised in the US, Flippin often visited Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, during his childhood. His mother hails from the prefectural capital Naha. He played basketball as a boy.

Koh Flippin attended the North High School in Torrance before attending the University of California, Riverside. (n his final year, he transferred to the Doane University in Nebraska.

Career

College

Koh Flippin played for the UC Riverside Highlanders in the NCAA Division I. For his senior season, Flippin played for the Doane Tigers of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II.

Professional

Chiba Jets

Flippin started his professional career in Japan with the Chiba Jets of the B.League. He was signed in by the Jets in June 2019. The point guard and shooting guard, have dreamt of returning to Japan to play professionally near his family. He helped the Jets win the league title in the 2020–21 season.

Ryukyu Golden Kings

On June 12, 2021, the Ryukyu Golden Kings has announced that they have acquired Flippin from the Chiba Jets ahead of the 2021–22 B.League season. The Kings are based in Flippin's home prefecture of Okinawa.

Flippin helped the Golden Kings win their first B.League title since 2016. Against the Chiba Jets in the best-of-three Finals, Ryukyu won Game 1 before Flippin led Game 2 with 21 points and eight assists to complete the sweep. He was named Game 2 MVP and received the Japan Life Finals Award.

He later played for the Golden Kings at the EASL Champions Week in March 2023. The team lost in the third place game against the Hong Kong-based Bay Area Dragons

Gunma Crane Thunders

The Gunma Crane Thunders signed in Flippin ahead of the 2023–24 B1 League season. He was named Steals Leader for that season.

The 2025–26 season marked Flippin's first injury-related absence. After playing the first five games, he injured his right ankle. He returned in December and played two games before suffering a left ankle lateral collateral ligament injury. He returned in late January 2026 and has been recovering since.

National team

Koh Flippin has played for the Japan national basketball team. He has played for the B Team or developmental team which took part at the 2019 William Jones Cup in Taiwan.

Flippin debuted for the senior team under head coach Tom Hovasse at the 2022 Softbank Cup against Iran. His first appearance in a FIBA-sanctioned event was the November 2022 window of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers.

Personal life

Flippin who holds Japanese citizenship is a second-generation Okinawan. He is of African-American and Japanese descent. He also has relatives in the Kanto Region His connections to the United States include Los Angeles and Torrance, California.

References

  1. 1 2 "John Alexander Koh Flippin - Japan - Player profile". FIBA. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Profile". Koh Flippin Official Website (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  3. ↑ "Koh Flippin". ESPN.com. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 "チームメイトたちからの励ましによって持ち味を発揮しはじめたルーキー" [A rookie who began to show his true potential thanks to encouragement from his teammates.]. Basketball Spirits (in Japanese). 7 January 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 "【En】Ryukyu Kings player Koh Flippin: "I am proud to be Uchinanchu" What he wants to tell to children through basketball in his mother's homeland, Okinawa". Ryukyu Shimpo Digital (in Japanese). 1 November 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Koh Flippin - 2017-18 - Men's Basketball". UC Riverside Athletics. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Odeven, Ed (9 September 2020). "Jets rookie guard Koh Flippin, a player with interesting name, displaying a solid game". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "千葉ジェッツに新加入選手、日本国籍を持つPG兼SGのコー・フリッピンと契約基本合意". Basketball King (in Japanese). 7 June 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  9. 1 2 "琉球ゴールデンキングス、コー・フリッピンの獲得を発表" [Ryukyu Golden Kings announce the signing of Koh Flippin.]. Basketball King (in Japanese). 12 June 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  10. ↑ "「沖縄は私のアイデンティティー」キングスに千葉のフリッピンが新加入" ["Okinawa is my identity": Flippin joins the Kings from Chiba.]. Ryukyu Shimpo Digital (in Japanese). 13 June 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "勝負の第4Qで躍動したコー・フリッピン「このチームは誰がヒーローになってもおかしくない」". Basketball King (in Japanese). 28 May 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  12. ↑ Odeven, Ed (28 May 2023). "Golden Kings Complete Title Quest with Sweep of Jets in B.League Finals". Japan Forward. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "【結果】ゲームレポート [3/5 EASL vsベイエリアドラゴンズ]" [[Result] Game Report [March 5: EASL vs. Bay Area Dragons]] (in Japanese). Ryukyu Golden Kings. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "キングス大敗　バスケEASL３位決定戦　香港ベイエリアに70－90" [Kings Suffer Heavy Defeat: EASL Third-Place Playoff – Lost 70–90 to Hong Kong Bay Area]. Ryukyu Shimpo Digital (in Japanese). 5 March 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "群馬クレインサンダーズが優勝経験あるコー・フリッピンを獲得…辻直人に続く2人目の新戦力" [Gunma Crane Thunders sign championship-winning Ko Flippin... second new addition following Naoto Tsuji.]. Basketball King (in Japanese). 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "サプライズ補強の群馬クレインサンダーズ、吉田真太郎GMの目線（前編）「お祭り男2人が加入したので楽しみにしてください」" [The Gunma Crane Thunders, a surprise reinforcement: General Manager Shintaro Yoshida’s perspective (Part 1): ‘With two festival-loving guys joining us, please look forward to it.’] (in Japanese). 7 August 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "コー・フリッピン" [Koh Flippin]. B.League. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "コー・フリッピン 選手 負傷のお知らせ" [Notice Regarding Injury to Player Koh Flippin]. Gunma Crane Thunders (in Japanese). 10 December 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  19. ↑ "キャリア初の長期離脱を経験した、群馬クレインサンダーズのコー・フリッピン「チームを助けられる存在でありたい」" [Gunma Crane Thunders' Koh Flippin on experiencing the first long-term injury layoff of his career: "I want to be someone who can help the team."]. B.League (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "バスケットボール男子日本代表：ウィリアム・ジョーンズカップ全日程終了 新たな挑戦をしながら経験を積み、自信をつけたBチームが9年ぶり銅メダル獲得" [Japan Men's National Basketball Team: William Jones Cup Campaign Concludes — The "B-Team" Wins Bronze for the First Time in Nine Years, Gaining Experience and Confidence While Taking on New Challenges.]. Sports Navi (in Japanese). Japan Basketball Association. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  21. ↑ "SoftBank カップ 2022　8月13日＠イラン戦　登録メンバー発表" [SoftBank Cup 2022: Roster Announced for August 13 Match vs. Iran] (in Japanese). Japan Basketball Association. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  22. 1 2 "コー・フリッピン" [Koh Flippin]. Basketball King (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "ホーバスHC率いる日本代表12名を徹底紹介！ W杯予選でバーレーン&カザフスタンと対戦" [A comprehensive look at the 12-man Japan national team led by Head Coach Hovasse! Facing Bahrain and Kazakhstan in the World Cup qualifiers.]. Basketball King (in Japanese). 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2026.