Kenichi Sako

{{Short description|Japanese former basketball player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Kenichi Sako

| image = File:Sako_kenichi_20150104.jpg

| league = Japanese B.League

| team = Levanga Hokkaido

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|7|17}}

| birth_place = Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan

| position = Head coach

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb = 172

| highschool = Hokuriku

| college = Chuo University

| years1 = 1993–2002

| team1 = Isuzu Motors Giga Cats

| years2 = 2002–2011

| team2 = Aisin SeaHorses Mikawa

| career_number =

| career_position = Point guard

| career_start = 1993

| career_end = 2011

| coach_start = 2014

| coach_end =

| cyears1 = 2014–2017

| cteam1 = Hiroshima Dragonflies

| cyears2 = 2017–2021

| cteam2 = Japan national basketball team (assistant)

| cyears3 = 2021–present

| cteam3 = Levanga Hokkaido

| highlights = As player:

• 12× Emperor's Cup winner (1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002–2004, 2007–2010)
• 9× JBL champion (1995–1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008)
• 3× JBL MVP (1995, 1996, 2000)
• 9× JBL Best Five (1995–2003)
• 2× JBL 3point field goals leader (1997, 2001)
• 2× JBL assists leader (1993, 1994)
• Japanese Inter High School champion (1998)

| FIBA_HOF_player = Kenichi-Sako

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport | Men's basketball}}

{{Medal|Country|{{flagu|Japan}}}}

{{Medal|Competition|Asian Games}}

{{Medal|Bronze|1994 Hiroshima | Japan}}

{{Medal|Competition|Summer Universiade}}

{{Medal|Silver| 1995 Fukuoka | Japan}}

{{Medal|Competition|FIBA Asia Champions Cup}}

{{Medal|Silver|1996 Manila | Isuzu Lynx}}

| caption = Sako in 2015

}}

Kenichi Sako (佐古 賢一, born 17 July 1970) is a Japanese former basketball player and current coach.{{cite web|title=Profile |url=http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kenichi_Sako/Summary/3433|publisher=basketball.realgm.com|accessdate=22 June 2012}} Nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", Sako played as point guard and is widely regarded as one of the best Japanese players in history,{{Cite web |title=History of Japan basketball |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/basketball-history-japan |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=FIBA.basketball |language=en}} having won twelve Emperor's Cup titles and nine JBL championships. Representing the Japan national team, Sako played at one FIBA World Cup in 1998, and won one silver and one bronze medal at the FIBA Asia Cup. He was enshrined into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2020, becoming the first Japanese player to be inducted.{{Cite web |title=FIBA Hall of Fame - Kenichi SAKO (Japan) |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/hall-of-fame/Kenichi-SAKO |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=FIBA.basketball |language=en}}