Read Time:4 Minute, 24 Second
Youth teams from 11 countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific battled over five days, but it was Japan’s Kyoto Seika Gakuen Senior High School and Yongsan High School that etched their names in history as they were crowned the first champions of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational on Sunday (Jun 29) at the Kallang Tennis Hub.
The Japanese girls’ side stormed to a commanding 109-40 blowout over South Korea’s Onyang Girls High School in the final, while the boys’ competition saw Yongsan High School demolish Tsinghua University High School 97-48 in a thrilling but one-sided contest.
Kyoto Seika Gakuen got off to an ominous start as they displayed speed in transition with five points from turnovers. Centres Ngalula Liya Mukuna and Odia Ruth Kawel dominated in the paint, pulling down a combined eight rebounds to end the first period 27-11.
Their South Korean opponents struggled to find space on offence and were often restricted to shooting beyond the arc, where they were one from eight.
Ngalula, who tallied 30 points and 27 rebounds, said: “Early on, we were nervous… But, rebounding, hustling for loose balls, that’s always key for our game, and we were able to do that.”
“I want to keep improving, especially on drives, shooting, and free throws. So I will keep working hard,” she added, sporting a fresh championship cap.
Leading 53-23 at halftime, Kyoto Seika Gakuen kept their foot on the pedal, taking the third quarter 32-13 and closing strong with a 24-4 final period.
Head coach Tsunayoshi Yamamoto was humble in victory, expressing gratitude to the organisers for the opportunity to compete and connect with different cultures throughout the tournament.
“Looking at the other teams, especially teams from Korea, China, Australia, they’re tall, they’re physical. So again, we weren’t confident at all early on. One game at a time, one win at a time, we raised their confidence, and we were able to get good results. It was a great experience for us,” he said.
“We prepared for this tournament well. We were really focused on this tournament. But more importantly, aside from the wins or the losses, whatever the result is, the most important thing we took away from this tournament was meeting people from different countries and learning their cultures,” Yamamoto reflected on the team’s first overseas tournament in their history.
In the men’s decider, South Korea delivered a three-point shooting clinic, led by captain Daniel Edi, who sank three of his team’s 13 total treys and sealed the victory in style with a slam dunk in the final 20 seconds.
The 18-year-old forward, who recently signed a professional with the Seoul SK Knights — becoming the first player ever selected via the KBL’s Local Draft Pick system — said: “It was great that I could put a cherry on top at the end. And I was able to shoot threes very well in the first half which helped to unlock the game.”
Most Valuable Player Kim Mingi, who posted 25 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the final, described the win as an “unforgettable memory”.
“The night before, we reviewed the Chinese team and saw that they’re really tall,” Mingi said. “So we built a game plan around that to make sure we could match up effectively. But more importantly, we came in with the mentality that we had nothing to lose, so we gave it everything.”
The event also attracted NBA and WNBA star power, with three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis and two-time WNBA champion Lauren Jackson in attendance during the latter stages.
Kyoto captain Mika Sakaguchi was honoured to play in front of elite company.
“Who else gets to play in front of NBA and WNBA players? It’s such an honour, it’s such a wonderful experience that we had. We were able to become the champion, and we just want to keep working very hard so that we get better. We hope to show that this tournament has made us stronger,” said the power forward.
Also playing power forward for the Sacramento Kings was Sabonis, who watched on from the sidelines.
The 2.08m Lithuanian–American, who also plays centre, said: “These young athletes are taking the game to the next level.”
“I was watching the games, and these kids are doing stuff that we didn’t even dream of, so it’s really cool to see how it’s evolving,” the Lithuanian–American added.
Having missed out on this season’s playoffs after a play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Sabonis said: “As a competitor, a professional player, you just love the game. I want to go out there, I want to win, I want to compete.”
“I’m excited to get home. I am having fun here, but once I get home, I’m back to work, working on my game, and you know, that’s the beauty of it.”
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
