Kyoto Seika Gakuen Senior High School and Yongsan High School didn’t just win the first-ever NBA Rising Stars Invitational—they made statements loud enough to echo across the Asia-Pacific.
The girls from Japan and the boys from South Korea left no doubt, steamrolling their way to dominant finishes at the inaugural showcase held in Singapore.
Kyoto delivered a 109–40 dismantling of Onyang Girls’ High School (South Korea) in the girls’ final—a performance built on precision, poise, and relentless pace.
Tournament MVP Hikari Yoshida and her squad set the tone early with a 27–11 first-quarter burst and never looked back. The Japanese side held their Korean counterparts to just 20.3% shooting from the field, while converting at an efficient 50% themselves.
“We’re very honored to be the first champions of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational,” Kyoto captain Mika Sakaguchi said.
“It wasn’t an easy path. Even in this game, we had moments where we struggled, but we were prepared,” she added. “This was a very good team—they’re fast, physical, and tough—but we were ready for that. Now we just want to keep working hard and show how much stronger this tournament made us.”
The boys’ final followed a similar script.
Yongsan imposed their will from the opening tip, cruising to a 97–48 rout of Tsinghua University High School (China).
MVP Kim Min-gi, captain Daniel Edi, and forward Kim Tae-in powered the South Korean squad with a combined 60-point outing in the lopsided finale.
“I can’t describe it in words. I just want to scream with happiness,” Edi said in the post-game press conference. “We had a great tournament, but we needed to go out with a bang. This is a special team, and I’m so proud to lead this group.”
The sold-out crowd of 1,100 included NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis, WNBA legend Lauren Jackson, NBA rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, and B.LEAGUE standout Keisei Tominaga—all on hand to witness the next generation of stars in action.
“For young athletes, it’s about taking the game to the next level. You see kids doing things we didn’t even dream of when we were their age. It’s amazing to watch the game evolve like this,” Sabonis shared.
The inaugural NBA Rising Stars Invitational brought together boys’ and girls’ high school teams from 11 countries across the Asia-Pacific region and marked the league’s first regional showcase of its kind.
