TimesofIndia.com in SINGAPORE: For almost two quarters against Jubliee School of Indonesia in their opening game NBARising Star Invitational 2026 in Singapore, Velammal International School looked capable of competing. India’s lone representatives moved the ball with confidence and defended with intent, for spells.Then came the pressure. The pace quickened, the legs tired, and the margin kept widening. By the final buzzer, the scoreboard read 95-61.In their second game against South Korea’s Kyungbock High School — one of the strongest scholastic programs in Asia — and the eventual winners, the relentless full-court press squeezed every possession. Passing courses have disappeared. Turnovers have increased. Every defensive rebound immediately became another attack.By the time the final buzzer sounded, Velammal had suffered a 131-46 defeat.Head coach Shamsher Basha did not wait on the scoreline. Instead, he identified the problem directly. “Yes, resistance was a problem,” Basha told Timesofindia.com.Its pointer, Fyodor Prem Athithan, noticed something even more fundamental.“They were pressing the court full,” he said. “Back in India, there was no court press, only zone defense. Here, there is court pressure, so next time we should be able to handle it better and make the right moves.”
Image Credit: NBA Rising Star Invitational
Former NBA India Academy recruit Kushal Singh reached a similar conclusion.“We know other countries are better at basketball, so we have better competition to play against,” he said.Over six days at the OCBC Arena in Singapore, they were similar models. Watching Japanese, South Korean, Chinese and Australian schools compete, the differences are not limited to height or athleticism. The ball rarely stands still, whether teams are protecting a narrow lead or comfortably ahead.
Where the difference really lies
The gap wasn’t just about talent. It was one of exposure.And for NBA India Head Sunny Malik, that’s why tournaments like the NBA Rising Stars Invitational have become so important.“RSI is a fantastic platform for high school players,” Malik told TimesofIndia.com.“It gives them the opportunity to compete against the best teams in Asia. It provides tremendous exposure and allows the young players to understand where they stand compared to the best in the region.“For the Indian team that participated, I think it’s a great learning platform and an important step to help them improve every year and eventually become regular competitors on the circuit.”
Sunny Malik (Image Credit: NBA Rising Star Invitational)
When asked specifically about India’s struggles against South Korea’s court press, Malik’s response echoed exactly what Basha and Fyodor had already described.“I think more practice matches in the full-court format would go a long way. Looking at the Indian team, they competed well in the first and second quarters. However, once the game entered the third quarter, they started to lose steam, and that’s where they also lost momentum.“Longer format practice, more competitive games, greater exposure against stronger teams, and increased competition in India can all go a long way in helping them compete consistently at this level.”
Build the Missing Path
For most of the past decade, the NBA’s grassroots presence in India has largely revolved around one program — Jr. NBA. It introduced thousands of kids to the game, took buses to schools across the country and became the biggest league initiative in India. But, what happened next?For many young players, the path beyond high school basketball has never been clearly defined. That, Malik believes, is finally starting to change.“We’ve been running our Junior NBA program for the past 13 years, and I believe it’s a great platform for kids to be exposed to the right style of basketball and develop the right mindset to move up the ladder,” he said.“But from this year forward, we are trying to increase the age group from Under-14 to Under-16. That gives us a much wider player pool, creates greater competition, and allows more players who have progressed through the Under-14 program to continue competing in Junior NBA Under-16.“This additional exposure will help prepare them for the level of basketball they need to play if they want to compete internationally.”The change may be incremental, but in reality, it is part of a much larger shift in the way the NBA views player development in India.With the NBA Rising Stars Invitational now in its second edition, the league is beginning to forge a path that previously did not exist.A player can now enter the system through Junior NBA, continue competing at the Under-16 level, graduate to the proposed NBA Rising Stars Invitational Qualifier and, if successful, earn the opportunity to compete against the best school teams in Asia at the Rising Stars Invitational.Beyond this lies another possibility.“The RSI Qualifier … is definitely on the cards,” Malik revealed.“We would like to build around an RSI Qualifier because having the best teams qualify through a competition brings much more energy and credibility to the final teams than having them come through nominations or selections by the Basketball Federation of India.”The NBA is trying to create continuity, and the league’s ambition is no longer just to introduce kids to basketball. Trying to make sure that young talent stays in a competitive system as they grow up.
When exposure becomes opportunity
That path, according to Sheila Rasu, Head of Marketing for Southeast Asia and NBA Asia, has already begun to produce tangible results throughout the region.“I don’t think this is something for the future,” Rasu said when asked if the Rising Stars Invitational could become a stepping stone for elite basketball.“I think it’s already happened.”She pointed to last year’s tournament, where scouts identified five girls who were subsequently invited to Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA world basketball development and community outreach program.
Sheila Rasu (Image Credit: NBA Rising Star Invitational)
“So it’s already happening. We have scouts who attend every year, and we already use this tournament as a platform to identify young and promising talent.”Rasu offered another example that perhaps best illustrates what the NBA hopes this competition can eventually become.“Last year, Yongsan High School from South Korea participated, and the MVP of that team immediately went on to sign a professional contract in the Korean Basketball League. Now he has also made the national team.“Daniel Edi was first seen at our event, and then he not only signed a professional contract, but also to represent his country. There will be more stories like this, and we want to create more stories like this.”Edi was drafted by the Seoul SK Knights in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), making history as the first player selected directly out of high school through the KBL’s Local Draft Pick system. He went on to debut for the Korean Men’s National Team during Window 2 of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers earlier this year. And maybe with results like the above, the conversations around college basketball, professional leagues and eventually the NBA will become realistic and that long-term thinking is precisely why Malik insists that the conversation should not revolve around an exceptional player.
NBA Rising Star Invitational
Strengthening the basketball ecosystem
“I completely agree,” he said when asked about the importance of developing coaches alongside players.“Ecosystem development is just as important as player development.“You need the federation, the associations and all the relevant players to come together and invest in the development of coaches, because this is where the development of actual skills begins. This is where the real foundation is built.“This foundation must be strong if we want to consistently produce great players from India.”It’s a philosophy shared across the NBA’s operations in Asia. “The ecosystem is not just about the players,” explained Rasu.“Of course, the most important thing is to help the players improve their skills, but you also need to improve the general standard of the game. This means the development of coaches, referees and the exposure of more young people to basketball.“The referees and coaching clinics help raise the overall standard of the basketball community, so that when more tournaments emerge, there is enough expertise in the ecosystem to support them.The difference between the representatives of India and the main school programs of the continent was rarely of effort. Velammal competed, fought for loose balls and continued to play with energy even as the scoreline got away.
NBA Rising Star Invitational
Malik believes stronger domestic competition will be just as important.“We also need stronger competition at the national level. With some of the changes that have been planned in the country, including new leagues that are being discussed, there may be more opportunities for Indians to connect with basketball and become more engaged with the sport.”By the final day in Singapore, the tournament had produced champions, individual awards and memorable performances.
More than a hero
For solitary representatives of India, however, the most valuable takeaway lies elsewhere. Coach Basha talked about endurance. Fyodor talked about facing a press in full court that he rarely encounters at home. Kaushal talked about finally understanding where his team stood against the best in Asia.Malik connected these experiences into something much bigger.“I don’t think there’s just one thing that can bring a big audience to basketball,” he said. “It has to be a combination of factors.“Having the right player to represent India on the global stage would certainly be an important step. We celebrate heroes in this country, and we have seen that with cricket.“So, having the right heroes, combined with the right infrastructure and ecosystem, will help us build generations of players. We need a system that always produces talent, not just an actor who reaches the global stage, but many actors who come regularly.”
The NBA’s road for Indian basketball (Image: NBA Rising Star Invitational)
