The stage is officially set for Championship Sunday after an exciting day of semi-final action at the NBA Rising Stars Invitational, where four deserving finalists emerged from a series of high-quality contests at the OCBC Arena.

Japan, Taiwan and South Korea will all be represented in the title games after Seika Girls’ High School, Yang Ming Girls High School, Kyungbock High School and Tottori Johoku High School secured hard-fought victories to book their places in Sunday’s finals.

Adding to the electric atmosphere, NBA champion Jeremy Lin made a special appearance at a packed OCBC Arena, taking in the boys’ semi-final between Kyungbock High School and Berwick College alongside hundreds of enthusiastic fans.

Defending girls’ champions Seika Girls’ High School moved one step closer to retaining their title with a convincing 99-52 victory over Australia’s Rowville Secondary College in the opening semi-final.

Despite not possessing the size of many of their opponents throughout the tournament, Seika once again relied on discipline, teamwork and relentless effort to reach another championship game. “My teammates are not tall at all,” said Buba Aisha Ezzine. “But we work very hard. We practice every day to be here and we will win the tournament.”

For Rowville, the defeat did little to diminish what had been a memorable tournament as Australia’s sole representative in the girls’ competition. “We were the only Australian girls’ team to be here and that’s been amazing,” said Vanessa Tavete. “We did not end up with a win but still finished fourth, so that was still really cool.”

Awaiting Seika in Sunday’s final will be Yang Ming Girls High School, who produced one of the biggest results of the tournament by defeating previously unbeaten Yali High School 70-64.

After trailing early, Yang Ming’s coaching staff credited the team’s defensive adjustments for turning the game around. “We all know that the opposition are physically strong,” Yang Ming’s coach said. “After adapting, we increased the pressure on our defense in the third quarter and pulled ahead during that period.”

The coach also highlighted one of the tournament’s defining themes—the opportunity for young athletes to measure themselves against elite international competition.

“This competition is really good exposure. When our team trains domestically, they are just playing against themselves. They may be under the impression that they are doing pretty well. But at this competition, they realise the level of play with the international teams.”

The boys’ championship game will feature two teams that have consistently impressed throughout the tournament. South Korea’s Kyungbock High School continued its unbeaten run with an 82-73 victory over Australia’s Berwick College in a physical and entertaining first semi-final.

With one final hurdle remaining, Kyungbock’s head coach kept his message simple. “There’s no looking back anymore,” he said. “We just have to leave everything out there on the court for this last game. They’ve made it all the way here. They just need to give it their all.”

Berwick’s Rossner paid tribute to both the opposition and the tournament environment after the loss. “The opposition team knows what they are doing. They’re a very tough team. I give full credit to them and this environment has been amazing.”

The second semi-final proved even tighter, with Japan’s Tottori Johoku edging China’s Tsinghua University High School 71-69 in a thrilling contest that went down to the closing moments.

Looking ahead to the championship game, Tottori’s Komei Oda knows exactly what awaits his team. “The final is against Kyungbock High School and they are a very tall team who can shoot very well,” he said. “So we need to play team defense, get some turnovers, score on the run and get some easy shots. We just have to keep working as a team.”

While the players enjoy a well-earned rest before Sunday’s finals, the NBA Rising Stars Invitational will continue to celebrate the wider basketball community on Saturday through its Her Time to Play initiative.

WNBA legend Lauren Jackson, Guinness World Record holder and endurance athlete Natalie Dau, and Love, Bonito co-founder Rachel Lim will headline the “Her Game, Her Future: Breaking Barriers & Building Pathways for Women in Sport” leadership panel. The session will bring together female college students, national team players, coaches, referees and mothers of participating athletes to discuss leadership, opportunity and the continued growth of women’s sport.

The event reflects the tournament’s broader mission of inspiring the next generation, not only through competition but also through education, mentorship and community engagement.

After four days of increasingly competitive basketball, only two games remain.

In the girls’ championship, defending champions Seika Girls’ High School will look to retain their crown against a confident Yang Ming Girls High School side fresh off its upset of tournament favourites Yali.

The boys’ final promises another compelling contest as unbeaten Kyungbock High School takes on Tottori Johoku High School, with both teams entering Sunday’s showdown after navigating challenging paths through the semi-finals.

The group stage has produced breakout performances, the semi-finals delivered drama, and now the NBA Rising Stars Invitational reaches its conclusion with four teams chasing one final victory and the chance to be crowned champions.

Photo Credit: NBA Rising Stars Invitational

The NBA Rising Stars Invitational takes place from 23rd to 28th June 2026 at OCBC Arena, The Kallang. Tickets available here