Aussie high schoolers chasing Singapore stardom

• Australia's first NBA Rising Stars Invitational Qualifiers tip off in Melbourne from May 8-10, 2026.
• Eight boys' and five girls' high-school teams will battle for Singapore selection.
• WNBA legend Lauren Jackson headlines the landmark grassroots event.

The NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers mark a defining moment for Australian junior basketball, creating a genuine pathway from local high-school courts to a regional Asia-Pacific showcase.

What Are the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers?

The NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers are a brand-new, three-day high-school basketball tournament jointly delivered by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Basketball Magic, the Australian sports management company that operates the NBA Basketball School Australia.

Running from Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 10, 2026 at the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South, Melbourne, the event will crown the boys' and girls' teams that earn the right to represent Australia at the second annual NBA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore in June 2026.

The Qualifiers sit inside a much bigger picture. The NBA Rising Stars Invitational is the league's first regional high-school basketball tournament, bringing together boys' and girls' teams from across the Asia-Pacific. By creating a dedicated Australian gateway, the NBA is formalising a competitive pathway that previously did not exist for Australia's elite school programs.

Tournament format and structure

The event will feature eight boys' teams and five girls' teams selected from across the country in collaboration with Basketball Australia. The format follows a clean, pressure-tested structure:

• Friday, May 8 – Pool play group games to seed the bracket
• Saturday, May 9 – Single-elimination quarterfinals and semifinals
• Sunday, May 10 – Single-elimination finals to determine the boys' and girls' champions

The two winning programs will travel to Singapore as Australia's representatives at the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Invitational. The entire tournament will be livestreamed on the NBA Rising Stars Invitational YouTube page, ensuring families, scouts and supporters around the country can follow every possession.

Boys Competition · Pool A

4 teams · Round robin

• St Joseph's College FTG (VIC)
• Willetton Senior HS (WA)
• St Patrick's College Ballarat (VIC)
• Berwick College (VIC)

Boys Competition · Pool B

4 teams · Round robin

• Trinity College (SA)
• Western Heights College (VIC)
• Templestowe College (VIC)
• Rowville SC (VIC)

Girls Competition · Single Pool

5 teams · Round robin

• Barker College (NSW)
• Rowville SC (VIC)
• JSR Basketball (WA)
• Flinders College (VIC)
• Marist Regional College (TAS)

How Australia Got Here

Australia has long punched well above its weight in international basketball. The NBL is regarded as one of the strongest leagues outside the NBA, the Boomers and Opals are perennial Olympic contenders, and the country's junior development system has produced first-overall NBA picks, multiple WNBA All-Stars and a steady stream of NCAA Division I talent.

The rise of NBA Basketball School Australia

The Qualifiers build directly on the NBA's existing footprint in Australia through Basketball Magic. In February 2023, Basketball Magic launched the first NBA Basketball School in Australia at Cranbrook School in Sydney. That single site has since grown into five locations across Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, providing tuition-based skills development for youth players aged six to 18.

Globally, NBA Basketball Schools have been announced or launched in more than 30 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Spain and Türkiye. Australia's rapid expansion places it among the most significant markets in the international ecosystem.

A grassroots-to-global pipeline

Until now, Australian junior players relied on a patchwork of national championships, NBL1 exposure, school competitions and overseas showcases to reach the global stage. The NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers consolidate that journey into a single pathway, giving high-school programs a clear target and a tangible reward.

Key Figures and Voices Behind the Event

The Qualifiers will be headlined by Australian basketball royalty in two-time WNBA champion Lauren Jackson, who will attend the tournament and interact with participants.

Jackson's resume is among the most decorated in the women's game:

• Selected first overall in the 2001 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm
• WNBA champion in 2004 and 2010
• WNBA Finals MVP
• Three-time WNBA MVP
• Eight-time All-WNBA Team selection
• Five-time All-WNBA Defensive Team selection
• Seven-time WNBA All-Star
• Three scoring titles and one rebounding title
• WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
• Named to the WNBA's 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th Anniversary Teams
• Three Olympic silver medals (2000, 2004, 2008) and two bronze (2012, 2024) with the Opals
• Inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame (2019), Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (2020) and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2021)

"Being part of the inaugural NBA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore was an unforgettable experience," Jackson said.

"It's incredible to witness how much the game has grown throughout the region, and new initiatives such as the Australia Qualifiers will provide high-school players with invaluable exposure."

NBA and Basketball Magic leadership

NBA Asia Head of Strategy Rajah Chaudhry framed the event as a natural extension of Australia's basketball pedigree.

"Australia has an established basketball ecosystem that consistently produces premier talent at every level of the game," he said.

"In collaboration with Basketball Magic and Basketball Australia, the first Australia Qualifiers will showcase the nation's top high-school basketball programs, creating a direct pathway for standout boys' and girls' teams to experience the NBA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore this June."

Basketball Magic Chairman and Founder Ben O'Neill described the milestone as deeply personal.

"Hosting the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers is a defining moment not just for Basketball Magic but for the future of basketball in this country," O'Neill said,

"We built NBA Basketball School Australia from the ground up with one mission: to give young Australians a genuine pathway to the highest levels of the game.

"The Australia Qualifiers is that pathway made real."

Why this matters now

Junior basketball participation in Australia is at record levels, fuelled by the success of homegrown stars in the NBA, WNBA, NBL and WNBL, plus the increased visibility of national teams during Olympic and FIBA windows. High-school basketball, however, has historically lacked a singular, branded competition that links domestic excellence to international opportunity.

The Qualifiers fill that gap by:

• Providing a national stage for the country's best school-aged talent
• Offering NBA-backed exposure to scouts, coaches and media
• Creating a development experience that mirrors elite tournament environments
• Building an aspirational target for younger players entering the system

Boys' and girls' representation

A standout feature of the event is its equal-weighted commitment to boys' and girls' programs.

Future Prospects and the Road to Singapore

What the winners earn

The two champion programs from Wantirna South will represent Australia at the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore in June 2026. There, they will compete against fellow Asia-Pacific high-school sides in a tournament designed and operated by the NBA, with all the production, coaching and player-experience standards that come with the league's branding.

Long-term impact on Australian basketball

If the inaugural edition delivers on its promise, the Qualifiers could become a permanent fixture on the national junior calendar, sitting alongside Basketball Australia's existing championships and the NBL's Next Stars and development programs. Expect future editions to potentially expand the field, integrate combine-style measurement, and deepen ties with college recruiters from the United States.

For Australian basketball more broadly, the message is clear: the global game has come to local courts, and the next wave of Boomers, Opals and professional talent will increasingly be discovered, developed and showcased at home.

How Fans Can Follow the Action

The NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers will be live streamed on the NBA Rising Stars Invitational YouTube page, with further updates available across the NBA's localised Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube accounts.

The 2025-26 NBA Playoffs continues to air live in Australia on ESPN, Prime Video and NBA League Pass via the NBA App, giving local fans an unbroken line of sight from the Qualifiers in Melbourne, to Singapore in June, and on to the world's biggest basketball stage.