The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and NBA champion Mitch Richmond will join previously confirmed headliners NBA champion Jeremy Lin and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) champion Lauren Jackson at the second annual NBA Rising Stars Invitational, the league’s high-school basketball tournament featuring boys’ and girls’ teams from across Asia-Pacific.
The event will take place at OCBC Arena, The Kallang in Singapore from June 23, Tuesday, to June 28, Sunday.
All four headliners will interact with the youth and take part in fan meet-and-greet sessions throughout the event. They will also participate in a coaches clinic on June 24 and a series of community programs presented by Karim Family Foundation (KFF) – the Official Community Partner of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational – including a Her Time to Play clinic and leadership panel and a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA clinics on June 26, 27, and 28, respectively. The event will also feature performances by the Houston Rockets Hype Squad “Anti-Gravity” and Orlando Magic mascot Stuff.
Held in collaboration with Sport Singapore (SportSG) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and operated by the event agencies of NBA Singapore, this year’s NBA Rising Stars Invitational will feature 12 boys’ and 12 girls’ teams of youth ages 18 and under, competing in round-robin play before advancing to the single-elimination semifinals and final games. The participating teams were identified in collaboration with national basketball federations and leagues and through local qualifying tournaments in Bangkok, Melbourne, Taipei, and Tokyo.
Two Philippine schools are in the field: Far Eastern University – Diliman High School in the boys’ division and University of Santo Tomas in the girls’ division. Below is the full list of participating teams:
| Boys Division | Girls Division |
| Assumption College Thonburi | Gwangju Speer Girls’ High School |
| Berwick College | Heep Yunn School |
| Bukit Jalil Sports School | Hwa Chong Institution |
| Far Eastern University – Diliman High School | Jubilee High School |
| Hwa Chong Institution | Nanyang Polytechnic |
| Institute of Technical Education | Rowville Secondary College |
| Jubilee High School | Royal International School |
| Kyungbock High School | Seika Girls’ High School |
| The Velammal International School | University of Santo Tomas |
| Tongtex Secondary High School | Watnoinoppakhun School |
| Tottori Johoku High School | Yali High School |
| Tsinghua University High School | Yangming High School |
*Teams subject to change
Tickets are now available at NBA.com/RSI-Ticketing. Filipino fans can purchase individual tickets for each tournament stage, including the opening ceremony (June 23), pool games (June 23 to 25), semifinals (June 26), and finals (June 28).
In addition to the Rising Stars Invitational, the league will also host NBA Fan Zones in the lead-up to and during the event at Bugis Junction from June 10 to 14 and at Kallang Wave Mall from June 16 to 28. The free, interactive fan experiences will feature basketball-themed activities. The Kallang Wave Mall Fan Zone will also offer official NBA Rising Stars Invitational merchandise and apparel.
“I’m honored to be part of the second NBA Rising Stars Invitational and see some of the best high-school teams the region has to offer,” said Hachimura. “Having played high-school basketball in Japan, I understand how meaningful opportunities like this can be at the early stages of a player’s journey, and I’m excited to be part of a program that helps inspire the next generation of players from Asia-Pacific.”
“The NBA Rising Stars Invitational is proof of how global the game of basketball has become,” said Richmond. “This tournament provides a great platform for standout prospects from across Asia-Pacific to make their mark, and I look forward to engaging with the participants in Singapore and helping them continue their development.”
A 6’8” forward from Toyama, Hachimura was selected 9th overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA Draft, becoming the first Japanese-born player to be drafted in the first round before being named to the 2019-20 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Hachimura was traded to the Lakers in January 2023 and helped the team win the inaugural Emirates NBA Cup during the 2023-24 season. As a standout prospect in Japan, Hachimura led his high school in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture to three consecutive national titles.
A 6’5” shooting guard, Richmond was selected 5th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1988 NBA Draft and went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year and earn NBA All-Rookie First Team honors. During his 14-year career, he won the NBA championship with the Lakers in 2002 and earned six NBA All-Star selections, an NBA All-Star MVP Award, and five All-NBA Team selections. As a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team, he won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics and a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
The 2026 NBA Rising Stars Invitational is supported by SportSG, STB, Karim Family Foundation, SoftBank Corp., and Wilson.
For the latest news and updates about the event, visit NBARisingStarsInvitational.com and follow the NBA Rising Stars Invitational on Instagram and YouTube.
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