NBA Targets Southeast Asia for Growth with Singapore Events

A little over a week after the New York Knicks paraded through lower Manhattan celebrating their historic 2026 Championship win over the San Antonio Spurs, the NBA has set its sights on an ambitious target: Southeast Asia.

The decision to stage both a Rising Stars Invitational tournament – at which high school teams from across Asia showcase their skills, with top performers invited to future NBA development camps – and an accompanying investor conference in Singapore is no coincidence.

Southeast Asia has emerged as one of the NBA's fastest-growing markets for fan engagement, making the region a focal point for both player development and business expansion.

According to the league, basketball is the most-played sport in the Philippines with participation growing in numerous other countries, while fans in the region have increased by 15% in the span of three years through Q1 2026.

Digital consumption is also on the rise. Video views across NBA Asia's social media platforms increased 88% year-on-year, according to data supplied by the league to CNBC. The number of followers across the league's regional social media platforms has almost doubled during the 2025-26 season.

In an interview with CNBC's JP Ong, the NBA's vice president for Southeast Asia, Sheila Rasu, underscored the loyalty of the region's fan base. "Basketball is probably the fastest growing sport in Southeast Asia," said Rasu. "In Singapore, it's probably the most played team sport in the country. In Indonesia, there is a huge growing population of kids that are taking up basketball. So we do feel that basketball is truly having a moment, not just with the boys, but also the girls."

The league is also renewing its focus on the region through its NBA Launchpad program, which announced a strategic expansion in Asia this week. The program, which was originally launched in 2021, is designed to source and pilot emerging technologies that impact the sport.

Since the program launched, the NBA has championed everything from a sleep tech start-up to a data analytics company that places a sensor in a basketball's valve to track speed and acceleration.

Launchpad, said Rasu, "is our way to be involved in shaping the game, and how to improve the fan experience. We identify like-minded young companies that can actually help us improve the game."

Former NBA champion Jeremy Lin, the first Asian American to win basketball's top prize, was also watching the action in Singapore. Lin, who played nine seasons for the league, propelled viewership of the sport across Asia as what was dubbed "Linsanity" exploded in 2012.

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Lin, who was part of the 2019 NBA championship-winning Toronto Raptors, told CNBC's Emily Tan he was enthused by the opportunities for the game in Asia.

"The NBA is an amazing brand, it is very value-aligned. I want to continue to give back to the game, give back to the NBA and build basketball, especially in Asia, where I have roots," he said.

Asia is hardly a new territory for the NBA. The league's ties to China, for example, date back to the 1970s, but that relationship was tested in 2019 after then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey voiced support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

The comments triggered a backlash on the mainland, with state broadcasters suspending NBA coverage and many Chinese sponsors severing ties with the league.

The NBA began rebuilding its presence in Greater China last year, returning to the region for the first time in six years. With support from Alibaba co-founder and Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, the Nets and Phoenix Suns played a pair of preseason games at The Venetian Arena in Macao in 2025, marking a significant step in the league's efforts to re-engage with Chinese fans. The NBA will return to Macao this October for preseason games between the Dallas Mavericks and the Rockets.