SINGAPORE – At 1.90m, Nigerian teenager Buba Aisha Ezzine stood out at the NBA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore over the weekend – not just for her exploits, but also with her sportsmanship act.
The centre cut an imposing figure at The Kallang’s OCBC Arena as she racked up a match-high 53 points and 35 rebounds to help Seika Girls’ High School of Japan beat Chinese Taipei’s Yangming High School 106-59 in the girls’ final on June 28.
The 17-year-old, who had moved to Japan for her studies, also picked up four Most Valuable Player awards from as many matches.
She also earned the Defensive Player of the Tournament award and the Sportsmanship award after helping an injured opponent.
During a group-stage match on June 24, Ezzine had accidentally injured Hwa Chong Institution’s (HCI) Karis Lau, leaving her with a bleeding nose.
Buba Aisha Ezzine of Seika Girls’ High School carrying Karis Lau of Hwa Chong Institution to the bench in an act of sportsmanship after injuring the latter in their NBA Rising Stars Invitational group stage match on June 24.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Ezzine then carried Karis in her arms and helped her seek treatment at the sidelines.
Asked about the sportsmanship act, Ezzine said: “My coach disciplined me (such that), even out on court, I know I cannot leave her because I’m the one that gave her the injury.
“If I leave her like that, I don’t know what will happen, so I decided to rush her out to (get treatment).”
Ezzine, whose dream is to play in the WNBA, went on to collect the MVP award with 40 points in their 105-21 win over HCI.
She was also named MVP after registering 46 points in the 91-39 win over Heep Yunn School of Hong Kong and 38 points against Australia’s Rowville Secondary College in a 99-52 semi-final victory.
In the final, Yangming flew out of the blocks, converting seven of their 13 three-point attempts to lead 31-25 after the first quarter.
But, inspired by Ezzine, Seika scored 18 points to enter the half 43-39 up.
A sterling performance in the third (32-13) and fourth (31-7) periods saw Seika close out a comfortable 106-59 win to claim the crown.
Seika coach Seiji Oue said Ezzine has physical prowess and a high basketball IQ.
He added: “But there are some things that she’s still learning. For example, being able to play on a team and just learning about the culture of Japan, so that’s something that I’m trying to instill in her.
“As a coach, I try to tell everyone to support each other, regardless of whether they are teammates or not, and I think that Aisha has that innate personality already to help out others when they are in need.”
In the boys’ final, Kyungbock High School of South Korea defeated Japan’s Tottori Johoku High School 82-72, thanks to their captain Yoon Ji-won and his twin brother Ji-hoon, who scored a combined 60 points.
Yoon Ji-won of Kyungbock High School scoring a layup against Tottori Johoku High School in the NBA Rising Stars Invitational boys’ final at OCBC Arena on June 28.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
“This tournament’s been really important for me, because it’s a step onto the global stage,” said Ji-won, who scored a match-high 36 points and claimed the match MVP.
“I’ve been playing with my brother ever since the third grade, and we’ve always started together.
“We’ve won a lot of games and we’ve lost a lot of games together, so there’s a telepathic level of understanding between us.
“There are still things that we have to improve on, so we’ll make sure we’ll be working on those and making sure that chemistry is always going to be there for the team.”
Singapore was represented by HCI and the Institute of Technical Education in the boys’ category, and HCI and Nanyang Polytechnic in the girls’ category, with none making it past the group stage of the second edition of this competition.
In the inaugural tournament in 2025, five female players were invited to Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach programme and the league is looking to provide similar opportunities for players from this edition.
NBA head of South-east Asia and Asia marketing Sheila Rasu said: “Top individual performers from the event will continue to have the opportunity to attend future NBA basketball development camps, showcases and programmes, and maximise their potential through the highest levels of the game.”
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