Rising stars show their class and style

Asia-Pacific school sides battle for bragging rights at inaugural NBA invitational tourney

Five years ago, Oso Ighodaro — currently a Phoenix Suns rookie — delivered one of the most dominant performances in Arizona high school basketball history, leading his team to a state championship with a jaw-dropping 32-point, 11-rebound, 10-block masterpiece.

Yet, despite his elite talent, the game-changing star lamented how rare it was for high school players like him to compete internationally and test themselves against unknown opponents from different basketball cultures.

This past week, 23 boys' and girls' teams from across 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region lived out what Ighodaro could only dream of back then — traveling to Singapore for the inaugural NBA Rising Stars Invitational, which is the association's first-ever regional high school basketball tournament.