SINGAPORE – Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and 2002 National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Mitch Richmond – who is also a Lakers alumnus – will be adding stardust to the NBA Rising Stars Invitational held at The Kallang’s OCBC Arena from June 23 to 28.
On June 3, the organisers announced that Japan international Hachimura and 1996 Olympic gold medallist Richmond will join 2019 NBA champion Jeremy Lin and Lauren Jackson – who won the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) championship in 2004 and 2010 – at the event. They will be interacting with youth and taking part in fan meet-and-greet sessions.
The quartet will also participate in a coaches’ clinic on June 24 and a series of community programmes – including a Her Time to Play clinic and leadership panel, and a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA clinic on June 26, 27 and 28, respectively – presented by official community partner Karim Family Foundation.
Hachimura, 28, who was born in Toyama to a Japanese mother and a Beninese father, became the first Japanese-born player to be drafted in the first round when he was selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA Draft. He went on to be named in the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
He said: “I’m honoured to be part of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational and see some of the best high-school teams the region has to offer.
“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 programme that helps inspire the next generation of players from Asia-Pacific.”
Richmond, a 60-year-old former shooting guard, added: “The NBA Rising Stars Invitational is proof of how global the game of basketball has become.
“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.”
This will be the second edition of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational, a high-school basketball tournament featuring boys’ and girls’ teams from across Asia-Pacific. In 2025, Chinese legend Yao Ming was the special guest.
Held in collaboration with national sports agency Sport Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board, and operated by the event agencies of NBA Singapore, the tournament will feature 12 boys’ and 12 girls’ teams (aged 18 and under) competing in round-robin play, before advancing to the semi-finals and final.
The participating teams were identified in collaboration with national basketball federations and leagues and through local qualifying tournaments in Bangkok, Melbourne, Taipei and Tokyo.
Singapore will be represented by teams from Hwa Chong Institution and Institute of Technical Education in the boys’ division, and by Hwa Chong Institution and Nanyang Polytechnic in the girls’ division.
Tickets ranging from $4 (general admission) to $14 (courtside) are available at NBA.com/RSI-Ticketing.
In addition to the tournament, the league will also host NBA Fan Zones in the lead-up and during the event at Bugis Junction from June 10-14 and at Kallang Wave Mall from June 16-28.
The free, interactive fan experiences will feature basketball-themed activities, and the Kallang Wave Mall Fan Zone will offer official NBA Rising Stars Invitational merchandise and apparel.
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