🏀 Asia-Pacific's young basketball talents ready to compete on NBA Stars Invitational 2026
Elite court mentorship: How Rui Hachimura, Mitch Richmond, and Jeremy Lin are inspiring the next generation of professional talent
🏀🌟Key Takeaway
24 U-18 basketball teams across Asia Pacific are officially selected to participate in the NBA Stars Invitational 2026, a basketball tournament organized by NBA Singapore in collaboration with Sport Singapore (SportSG) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), to be held from 22 to 28 June at the OCBC Arena.
They are ready to compete in a round-robin preliminary round before advancing to the semifinals and finals via a single-elimination bracket, ultimately competing for the championship title.
📈🚀Why It’s in Our Radar
The Asia-Pacific basketball youth ecosystem is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by heavy investment from global organizations such as the NBA and FIBA.
The region is the second-largest global basketball market after the United States, with an expanding player base of more than 30 million boys and girls.
Furthermore, the Asia Pacific basketball market size is projected to grow sustainably by 4.3% from 2025 to 2030, and revenue increased significantly from USD 154.3 million to USD 198.3 million during the period.
🌏🏫List of Participating Teams
Participating teams were selected through collaboration with national basketball federations and leagues, as well as through local qualifying tournaments held in Bangkok, Melbourne, Taipei, and Tokyo.
The competition will be divided into the boys’ and girls’ divisions, each consisting of 12 teams from 12 Asian and Pacific countries, and 9 high school basketball clubs representing Southeast Asia. This is a list of participating teams based on region and country:
🌴🏀 Southeast Asia
1. Indonesia
- Jubilee School Jakarta (♂ and ♀ teams)
2. Malaysia
- Bukit Jalil Sports School (♂ team)
3. Philippines
- Far Eastern University - Diliman High School (♂ team)
- University of Santo Tomas (♀ team)
4. Singapore
- Hwa Chong Institution (♂ and ♀ teams)
- Institute of Technical Education (♂ team)
- Nanyang Polytechnic (♀ team)
5. Thailand
- Assumption College Thonburi (♂ team)
- Watnoinoppakhun School (♀ team)
🌸🏀 East Asia
1. China
- Tsinghua University High School (♂ team)
- Yali High School (♀ team)
2. Hongkong
- Heep Yunn School (♀)
3. Japan
- Tottori Johoku High School (♂ team)
- Seika Girls’ High School (♀ team)
4. South Korea
- Kyungbock High School (♂ team)
- Gwangju Speer Girls’ High School (♀ team)
5. Taiwan
- Tongtex Secondary High School (♂ team)
- Yangming High School (♀ team)
🌏🏀 Other Parts of Asia Pacific
1. Australia
- Berwick College (♂ team)
- Rowville Secondary College (♀ team)
2. India
- The Velammal International School (♂ team)
- Royal International School (♀ team)
🌟🎓Youth Development Session
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and NBA Champion Mitch Richmond will join Jeremy Lin and Laurent Jackson to participate in a coaches clinic, a Her Time to Play consultation, and a leadership panel discussion to support skill and mental development for youth basketball players during the event.
Those are a part of a series of community programs presented by the Karim Family Foundation Invitational (KFF), Official Community Partner of the NBA Rising Stars. The event will also feature performances by the Houston Rockets Hype Squad “Anti-Gravity” and the Orlando Magic mascot, Stuff.
Hachimura and Richmond emphasized that the NBA Stars Invitational 2026 should be a significant opportunity for early-stage players from the Asia Pacific to develop their skills and pursue a global professional career.
“As someone who played high school basketball in Japan, I understand how valuable an opportunity like this is in the early stages of a player’s career, and I’m excited to be a part of a program that helps inspire the next generation of players in the Asia-Pacific region,” Hachimura said.
🎯🏆 The Bottom Line
The NBA Stars Invitational 2026 reflects the growing strategic importance of Asia-Pacific in the global basketball landscape.
Beyond serving as a regional competition, the tournament functions as a talent development platform that connects promising young athletes with elite-level coaching, mentorship, and international exposure.
With participation from 12 countries and support from NBA stars and development programs, the event underscores the NBA’s long-term commitment to nurturing the next generation of basketball talent.
As basketball participation and market growth continue to accelerate across the region, initiatives such as the NBA Stars Invitational are likely to play an increasingly important role in shaping future professional players and strengthening the sport’s ecosystem throughout Asia-Pacific. 🏆🌏🏀
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