TimesofIndia.com Singapore: Around 10am, the pitch inside the OCBC Arena has settled into a rhythm.On one hand, South Korea’s Gyeongbuk High School looks every bit the early favorite, with players who are taller and noticeably more imposing than most of their opponents. Singapore, which has four teams spread across the men’s and women’s divisions, found it tougher against more established basketball programs.Around the arena, coaches shout instructions and teenagers from across Asia share the courts that will be the centerpiece of action next week. NBAambitions in the region.The facilities are top notch and the organization is unmistakably NBA. But the most eye-catching thing about the opening day of the Rising Stars Invitational wasn’t necessarily the basketball itself.That’s diversity. Players from Japan, China, South Korea, India, the Philippines and Australia, each carrying different basketball traditions and ambitions, all came to Singapore with the same dream.For some, it’s about winning. For others, just being here is part of something bigger: opportunity.For Hachimura, this word may have more special meaning than anyone else.This is an opportunity he wishes he had.The Los Angeles Lakers forward isn’t just Japan’s biggest basketball exporter. In 2019, Hachimura became the first Japanese player to be selected by the Washington Wizards with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft.The 27-year-old, who won three straight high school national championships before transferring to Gonzaga, remains the only active NBA player from Asia and is increasingly willing to take on the responsibilities that come 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 this opportunity is really important. I don’t know how long this opportunity has been around, but when I was in high school, I don’t think it existed. So that’s what it’s about.”Looking around the arena, watching teenagers from across Asia compete under the NBA banner, Hachimura admits he recognizes a younger version of himself.“Yes, of course,” he said when asked if he saw himself reflected in these players.“When I was in high school, I was invited [to the] like [of] Jordan Brand Classic, NBA Academy and more. But those were the times when I actually learned on my own. I can see my level and my goals. ““So this kind of thing will help them. Especially in Asia, there are a lot of kids, a lot of players who want to be in the NBA. So it’s really a good thing.”Perhaps that’s the most common emotion throughout the day: path.
Thinking Beyond Japan
For years, Asian basketball has been looking for figures who can change perceptions.China has Yao Ming, an eight-time NBA All-Star and the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft. The Japanese team found its star breakthrough in Hachimura, and since then, Yuta Watanabe and Yuki Kawamura have joined Hachimura to realize Japan’s basketball dream.
NBA stars under one roof (photo from NBA Rising Stars Invitational Tournament)
But for Hachimura himself, the conversation transcends borders.“Especially for me, I think I have a responsibility. My country is Japan and Asia as a whole,” he said.“Right now, I’m actually the only NBA player from Asia. So that shows we need to develop our basketball culture and get more Asian players into the NBA.”“I think we have a lot of potential, but I think there are very few chances. That’s why I decided to come here and try to help attract more players to the NBA across the Asian continent. “Later, when asked what Asian basketball success would look like ten years from now, Hachimura returned to the same theme.“I don’t want to talk about Japan,” he said, adding: “I’m thinking about all of Asia. That’s my vision.”“I want to inspire these kids and I want more kids from Asia to become NBA players and do what they do. I wonder how I can help. “
Challenges are still greater than talent
For Hachimura, physical disadvantage is no longer an excuse. “We’ve always had that disadvantage,” he said.“But I think there are a lot of ways to prove it. You look at Yuki Kawamura. He does have the size, 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 from NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
Even more interestingly, Hachimura sees the challenge as more than just physical.“It’s also about personality,” he said. “Basketball is a fun sport. It’s a team sport, but a lot of times it’s also an individual sport. It’s important to show what you can do.”“That’s something I had to learn once I got to Gonzaga [University]. They always tell me I play like I’m shy or something. ““But you can’t be like that. You have to be aggressive all the time. You have to be the guy who tries to change the whole game. I don’t think Asians have that, so I think I have to teach that.”
build path
Three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in women’s basketball history and a central figure in Australia’s emergence as a global force, believes opportunity is becoming the defining theme of this generation.As a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the faces of the NBA’s “Her Time To Play” initiative, Jackson has witnessed the growth of women’s basketball for more than two decades.“I think women’s basketball is driving this trend globally,” Jackson said. “I think there’s no question that the WNBA has really upped the ante.”“We’re seeing recognition in 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 increase visibility.“This championship creates opportunities for all other countries to truly develop their path to the elite,” she said.“They can find their way to the NBA, which has never been done before, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Lauren Jackson (Photo: NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
Mitch Richmond, a six-time NBA All-Star who won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002 and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has witnessed the league’s international expansion up close.Richmond, who is part of a famed trio with the Golden State Warriors along with Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin, believes the NBA’s efforts to globalize the sport 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 asking me to go overseas and they were really trying to expand.”
Mitch Richmond (Photo by NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
“To see it all come to fruition now, with the NBA growing in so many places and continuing to grow around the world, it’s really a sight to see.”When asked about countries where cricket still dominates, such as India, Richmond favors patience over urgency.“You have to start somewhere. You have to take these small steps. It’s about teaching and learning. You have to get young people excited. “
a game and a question
Villamar International School, the only Indian representative, will kick off their campaign on Tuesday.Their task is difficult. The gap in infrastructure and basketball culture between India and some of Asia’s powerhouses remains glaring.
The lonely Indian representative (photo taken by NBA Rising Stars Invitational Tournament)
However, that may be the greater significance of this week. Because for Hachimura, success is no longer measured by what Japan has achieved.“I have a bigger goal now,” he said. “Not just Japan, but all of Asia.”Inside OCBC Arena, surrounded by teenagers from across the region, that vision no longer feels entirely far away.For countries still waiting for their breakthrough moment, that might be reason enough to keep believing.
