SingaporeTimesofIndia.com: Conversations around NBA The 2026 Rising Stars Invitational, held at the OCBC Arena in Singapore, is player-centric, and rightfully so. Who can make this leap? Who could be the next Victor Wembanyama?However, in the lobby of the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel, about 5 kilometers from OCBC Arena, the conversation was different.Here, the NBA isn’t looking for players; It’s not looking for founders. This one is not for the next point guard. This is for the next idea. The NBA is talking about founders, artificial intelligence, sports technology and companies that will impact the way basketball is played, watched and experienced for years to come.That thinking took center stage Thursday when the league launched a dedicated “Future of Basketball in Asia” track under NBA Launchpad, an innovative program that connects emerging technology companies with the NBA and WNBA.Starting this September, startups from across Asia will have a dedicated route into the program.NBA investment chief David Lee said in a statement that the move reflects the evolution of the league’s relationship with the region.“In Asia, I think global sports teams are looking at it as more than just a market that they’re trying to grow. It’s becoming the creator of the innovation that we want to see.“Launchpad’s renewed focus in the Asia region is not just about expanding our geographic coverage, but about building a more globally focused, connected innovation ecosystem around basketball.“This is not a one-year initiative or a one-time interest. This is an investment we have decided to make in the future of basketball and innovation in Asia.”The announcement itself lasted just a few minutes, with one of this year’s Launchpad companies, Singapore-based Swish Basket, showing off its AI-powered basketball training platform.The NBA has made it clear that it wants to get closer to building the next generation of sports technology.
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More than an investment plan
Launchpad launches in 2022 with a simple goal. Look for young companies working on technology that will make the game of basketball better.Over time, the program has expanded beyond on-field innovation to include media, fan engagement, artificial intelligence and business solutions.Each year, a handful of startups spend six months working with different NBA business units and then showcase their work at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.Exclusive statement times of india.comLi said investment is never the starting point.“Launchpad was launched about five years ago, initially in 2022, to find companies that are creating exciting technology to improve the game of basketball.“Starting in year two, our scope is not limited to on-site innovations but also includes business-focused companies off-site.“The main goal is to find companies that can help us innovate.“At the end of the project, there’s an equity component. After the demo day, we decide if we want to invest in a company. If we do, then we continue to support it.”
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He explained that the program was born out of the challenges that many sports startups continue to face.Unlike businesses developing products for banking, healthcare or enterprise software, companies developing technology specifically for sports often struggle to attract investors because the market appears relatively small.The NBA saw an opportunity to change that.“A lot of innovation in sports is happening and will continue to happen. The challenge for emerging startups, especially those focused on sports, is finding the right champions to help them continue to grow what they are doing.“Because the total addressable market for many sports technologies is relatively small, investors are not always excited about these companies, even though their work could be very valuable to the NBA.“We want to become more active in this space. We want to help these companies gain exposure through the NBA so that our use cases will make them more attractive to other investors and the broader ecosystem.”For young companies, this validation is often as valuable as the financing itself.Lee believes it’s also important to attract founders who truly care about the sport, rather than just seeing another business opportunity.When asked what has surprised him most since launching Launchpad, his answer wasn’t technology or investments. It’s about the person behind the idea.“What surprises me is the enthusiasm for changing the game;“People genuinely love what basketball brings to them. That means different things to different people and they want to help improve basketball in a way that enhances the experience for their families, friends and other fans.“We receive hundreds of applications every year and it’s always exciting to see brand new concepts pop up again next year.”Lee believes this passion is often what separates good tech companies from those that can have a lasting impact on gaming.
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The cause of making basketball better
The technology that goes into Launchpad is solving a very different problem. Some are helping players, some are helping coaches, broadcasters or medical staff, and increasingly they are changing the way fans experience the NBA.Earlier in the day, during a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and sports business, Lee pointed to technology already being used by the league.From WSC Sports, which automatically creates game highlights, to Fastbreak.ai, which helps develop schedules, and Launchpad companies such as SkillCorner and Springbok Analytics, which focus on player tracking and injury analysis, artificial intelligence is quietly becoming a part of daily operations in the NBA.But Li insisted that technology itself was never the goal. The game is.However, Lee rejected the idea that the next revolution in basketball will come from engineers rather than players.“I don’t think that’s entirely true,” Lee told Timesofindia.com.“On the pitch, the player is always at the center. The level of competition, talent and skill of today’s players is incredible and technology will continue to help them reach levels they have never reached before.“That said, when it comes to fan experience, technology is absolutely going to change the way people experience games.“We’ve been talking about the ability to deliver a hyper-personalized viewing experience based on who you are for years, but it’s finally becoming a reality.”Lee believes this transformation goes far beyond what happens on the court. The game itself, he said, will always remain the same.Virtual ads have been customized differently depending on where the game is being watched. The next step is to make each fan’s experience personal rather than generic.“A 25-year-old man in New York shouldn’t be watching the game in exactly the same way as a 12-year-old girl in Singapore.“I’ve always believed that if something doesn’t relate to you, it’s just advertising. If it does relate to you, it’s information.”This thinking also explains why the NBA is increasingly investing in areas that at first glance have nothing to do with basketball.During the artificial intelligence panel, Lee cited one example the alliance is particularly excited about—real-time language translation. He said postgame interviews often lose relevance within a few hours. Instantly translate them into multiple languages, allowing fans around the world to interact with players while the conversation is still happening.This is a small change.But it reflects the league’s growing view of technology as a way to shorten the distance between the game and its audience.
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Open invitation to India
Despite all the talk about Asia becoming a hub of basketball innovation, no country has yet made its mark on Launchpad.India.Lee admits the NBA is still waiting for the first Indian success story.“Currently, we don’t have any Launchpad portfolio companies or NBA Investments portfolio companies from India, which is something we should certainly work on.“India has always been a very important market for the NBA. We want to do more in this market. Given its size and potential, we would like to have companies from there.“If we can find strong companies from India, it will be another way for us to strengthen our presence in that market.“We absolutely would like to. We’re just not lucky enough yet. Hopefully soon.”It’s a clear sign that the NBA’s ambitions in India are starting to extend beyond fans, grassroots programs and commercial partnerships.The alliance is now also looking for founders.
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next breakthrough
After listening to hundreds of startup pitches over the past five years, this masthead asked about the one innovation he still wished existed. The question gave him pause. Then smile.“That’s a really good question and a hard question. If I had known the answer, I probably would have started this company myself.”His answer eventually came back to one place. Keep the biggest stars in the game on the court.“I don’t think the area [injury prevention] has been overlooked, but more needs to be done for injury prevention.“The longevity of our superstar players and ensuring our best players continue to play is extremely important to us.“Whether it’s making MRI scans easier or using technology to analyze player movement, identify fatigue earlier and determine the correct times for players to rest, there’s still a lot of work to be done.”Despite huge advances in artificial intelligence, computer vision and analytics, Lee believes basketball still has problems that need to be solved.The NBA Rising Stars Invitational is about the players of tomorrow, and off the court, the conversation is about the ideas of tomorrow.Earlier at the AI conference, I summarized the challenges facing the league with a statistic.“Ninety-nine percent of our fans have never been to an NBA game in person. So the question becomes: How do we provide an experience as close to actually being there as possible for those who are unable to attend a game due to distance or affordability?“That’s where technology comes in.”
