TimesofIndia.com in Singapore: By mid-morning, the pitches inside the OCBC Arena had already settled into their rhythm.On the one hand, South Korea’s Kyungbock High School looked the early favourites, their players physically bigger and noticeably more imposing than most of their opponents. Singapore, with four teams spread across boys and girls categories, found it tougher against more established basketball programs.Around the arena, coaches barked instructions, and teenagers from all over Asia shared the courts that would become the center of attention for the next week NBAambitions in the region.The facilities are first-class, the organization unmistakably NBA. But what stood out the most on the opening day of the Rising Stars Invitational wasn’t necessarily the basketball itself.It was variety. Players from Japan, China, South Korea, India, the Philippines and Australia, each carrying different basketball traditions and ambitions, all arrive in Singapore with the same dream.For some it is a victory. For others, it’s simply being here as part of something bigger: Opportunity.For Rui Hachimura, perhaps more than anyone else, that word has a special meaning.The opportunity he wished he had.The Los Angeles Lakers forward is not only Japan’s biggest basketball export. In 2019, Hachimura became the first Japanese player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft when the Washington Wizards selected him ninth overall.The 27-year-old, who won three consecutive high school national championships before transferring to Gonzaga University, remains the only active NBA player from Asia and is increasingly embracing the responsibility that comes with it.“You know, I think when I was a kid I always wanted to play overseas,” Hachimura said on the sidelines of the event.“I think an opportunity like this is very important. I don’t know how long this has been around, but when I was in high school, I don’t think it existed. So it makes sense.”Looking around the arena and watching teenagers from across Asia compete under the NBA banner, Hachimura admitted he recognized a younger version of himself.“Yes, of course,” he answered when asked if he saw himself in those players.“When I was in high school, they invited me [to the] as [of] Jordan Brand Classic, NBA Academy and all that. But those are the moments when I actually go and learn on my own. I see my level and my goal.”“So things like this are going to help them. Especially in Asia, there’s a lot of kids, a lot of players who want to be in the NBA. So this is a really good thing.”And perhaps it was the feeling that was repeated most often during the day: Roads.
Thinking outside of Japan
For years, Asian basketball has been looking for figures who can change perceptions.China had Yao Ming, an eight-time NBA All-Star and the first overall pick in the 2002 draft. Japan found its breakout star in Hachimura, who has since been joined by Yuta Watanabe and Yuki Kawamura in carrying out the country’s basketball aspirations.
NBA stars under one roof (Photo NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
But for Hachimura himself, the conversation crossed national borders.“Especially for me, I think I have a responsibility. My country Japan, but also the whole of Asia,” he said.“I’m literally the only NBA player in Asia right now. It’s a sign that we need to develop our basketball culture and bring more Asian players to the NBA.”“I think we have a lot of potential, but I think there are few opportunities. That’s why I decided to come here and try to help the whole Asian continent bring more players to the NBA.”Later, when asked what the success of Asian basketball will look like a decade from now, Hachimura returned to the same topic again.“I don’t want to talk about Japan,” he said and added. “I’m thinking about all of Asia. That’s my vision.”“I want to inspire those kids and I want more kids from Asia to be NBA players and do their jobs. I’m thinking about how I can help with that.”
The challenge remains greater than the talent
For Hachimura, physical defects are no longer excuses. “For us, there’s always that downside,” he said.“But I think there’s a lot of ways to prove it. You see Yuki Kawamura. He’s literally this height and he competes every day, every game.”“You just have to believe in yourself and find a way.”
Asia’s best talents in action (Photo NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
More interestingly, Hachimura believes that the challenge is not purely physical.“It’s also personality,” he said. “Basketball is an interesting sport. It’s a team sport, but a lot of times it’s also individual. Showing what you can do is very important.”“Those are things I had to learn when I went to Gonzaga [University]. I’ve always been told I play like I’m shy or something.”“But you can’t be like that. You always have to be aggressive. You have to be the guy who tries to change the whole game. I don’t think the Asians have that, so I think I have to teach them.”
Construction of tracks
Three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson, considered one of the greatest players in women’s basketball history and a central figure in Australia’s rise as a global power, believes opportunity is becoming the theme of this generation.A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the faces of the NBA’s Her Time To Play initiative, Jackson has seen the women’s game evolve over more than two decades.“I think women’s basketball is a global driver,” Jackson said. “I think there’s no question that the WNBA has definitely raised the stakes.”“We’re seeing recognition for women’s basketball and it’s a great time for women’s sports.”For Jackson, tournaments like the Rising Stars Invitational are important because they create exposure.“This tournament creates an opportunity for all other countries to really have a path to the elite,” she said.“They can see their way to the NBA and that’s something that’s never been done before, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Lauren Jackson (NBA Rising Stars Invitational photo)
Mitch Richmond, a six-time NBA All-Star, 2002 NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, witnessed the league’s international expansion up close.Part of the Golden State Warriors’ storied trio alongside Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin, Richmond believes the NBA’s efforts to globalize the game have been decades in the making.“I saw it coming,” Richmond said of basketball’s global growth.“When I was playing, the NBA was always pushing me to go overseas and they were really trying to expand.”
Mitch Richmond (NBA Rising Stars Invitational photo)
“To see all of that come to fruition right now, with the NBA growing in so many places and continuing to grow globally, it’s really a sight to behold.”And when asked about countries like India, where cricket remains dominant, Richmond preferred patience over urgency.“You have to start somewhere. You have to take those small steps. It’s about teaching and learning. You have to excite the youth.”
The tournament and the question
India’s sole representatives, Velammal International School, will begin their campaign on Tuesday.Their task is difficult. The gap in infrastructure and basketball culture between India and some of the established Asian powers remains glaring.
The lone representatives of India (photo NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
However, that may be of greater significance this week. Because for Hachimura, success is no longer measured by what Japan achieves.Now I have a bigger goal, he said. “Not just Japan but all of Asia.”Inside the OCBC Arena, surrounded by teenagers from across the region, that vision no longer seems entirely far-fetched.And for countries still waiting for their breakthrough moment, that might be reason enough to keep believing.
