Seika, Kyungbock are crowned champions as the NBA Rising Stars Invitational ends on a high | NBA news
Image: NBA Rising Star InvitationalImage: NBA Rising Star InvitationalNBA Rising Star Invitational TimesofIndia.com In SINGAPORE. When the boys’ finals tipped off on Sunday night, there were hardly any empty seats left inside the OCBC Arena.Spectators sang and cheered every basket in the stands, while courtside, NBA champions Jeremy Lin and Mitch Richmond, along with WNBA legend Lauren Jackson, watched two of the best school teams in Asia battle for the title. Six days ago, Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura opened the tournament by talking about encouraging more players from Asia to dream of reaching the NBA.Over the weekend, that next generation took center stage.The second edition of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational ended on Sunday where Seika Girls’ High School in Japan and Kyungbock High School in South Korea were crowned champions of the competition involving 24 boys’ and girls’ teams from the entire Asia-Pacific region.
Image: NBA Rising Star Invitational
Seika recovered from a slow opening quarter to beat Chinese Taipei’s Yangming High School 106-56 in the girls’ final, while Kyungbock put on another clinical display to defeat Japan’s Tottori Johoku High School, 82-72 and lift the boys title after overturning an early deficit.The medals may have gone to Japan and South Korea, but the tournament’s biggest individual honors reflect the breadth of talent on display across the region.Seika’s Buba Aisha Ezzine completed a memorable week by being named the Girls Finals MVP after also claiming the Defensive Player of the Tournament award, while Kyungbock guard Yoon Jiwon walked away with the Boys Finals MVP honor.All-Tournament Teams also highlight the diversity of the tournament.Australia’s Boris Rosner (Berwick College), Japan’s Philemon Talmon (Tottori Johoku High School), China’s Wang Junzheng (Tsinghua University High School) and South Korea’s Yoon Jihoon and Yoon Jiwon (Kyungbock High School) were included in the men’s First Team.The women’s selection includes Ezzine and teammate Goto Honoka, along with Hsu Yu-Shan (Yangming High School), Tiedore Puoch (Rowville Secondary College) and Yuan Zixi (Yali High School).The tournament offers a unique look at the present – and perhaps the future – of basketball across Asia.From Australia’s physicality and Japan’s discipline to South Korea’s relentless pressure game and China’s structured team play, each game became a lesson in the different basketball cultures emerging across the region.For the sole representatives of India, The Velammal International School, the week ended without a victory, but with something more valuable. viewFormer NBA Academy India player Kushal Singh might have got the best. “We know that the other countries are better in basketball, so we get better competition to play against,” he told TimesofIndia.com earlier in the tournament.That willingness to learn appeared to define the week as much as the competition itself.Jeremy Lin, one of the biggest attractions of finals day, believes those moments are more important than photos or autographs.“I think a big part of it is inspiration,” Lin told TimesofIndia.com.“Growing up, I didn’t have an Asian player that I looked up to until Yao Ming came along. But Yao was very different from me; he was a center, while I was usually the shortest guy on the court.
Image: NBA Rising Star Invitational
“So I hope I can inspire them, show them that I’m here, appreciate what they can do, watch their game, and give back to the game of basketball. As they get older, hopefully they’ll continue to do the same for the next generation.”Along with the tournament are coaching clinics, referee development programs, community basketball events and the Her Time To Play initiative, where Lauren Jackson spends time encouraging more girls to stay involved in the game beyond their school years.Earlier in the week, Jackson spoke about one of the biggest challenges facing women’s sports. not getting girls to start playing, but making sure they persist long enough to become players, coaches and future leaders.The success of the tournament, however, centered on what happened on the hardwood as in the stands, where attendance steadily built for a week before culminating in a full house for the finals.
Image: NBA Rising Star Invitational
“It was very encouraging to see a full house for the final, which shows the strong and growing interest in basketball,” a spokesperson for Sport Singapore said after the event.“We hope that the performances throughout the tournament have inspired the next generation of athletes to pursue the sport and realize their potential.”Lin sees that enthusiasm as the region’s biggest strength.“When you think about basketball in the Asia-Pacific region, what gives you the most optimism?” he was asked.“Always, for me, it’s the passion,” he replied.“When I see the incredible enthusiasm, I believe that people will find a way to bring in the best coaches. They will find a way to build youth basketball from the grassroots level. I believe that players, parents, and governments will continue to invest in the game.
Image: NBA Rising Star Invitational
“If there is passion, I think everything else can follow. And that’s exactly how I feel when I’m here,” added Lin.
Post Comment