Southeast Asia has become one of the NBA’s most dynamic growth markets, with rapidly expanding fan interest turning the region into a key priority for talent development and commercial investment.
Just over a week after the New York Knicks celebrated their historic 2026 championship victory over the San Antonio Spurs with a parade through lower Manhattan, the NBA is already looking toward its next major opportunity: Southeast Asia.
The league’s plan to host a Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore, alongside an investor conference, reflects a broader strategy. The tournament will bring together high school teams from across Asia, giving young players a platform to compete while offering standout performers a pathway to future NBA development camps.
For the NBA, the region’s appeal is clear. Southeast Asia is now among the league’s fastest-growing areas for fan engagement, making it increasingly important to both its grassroots basketball efforts and its long-term business plans.
The league says basketball is the most-played sport in the Philippines and is gaining traction in several other Southeast Asian countries. NBA fandom across the region has also climbed 15% over the three years through the first quarter of 2026.
That momentum has helped position Southeast Asia as a central focus for the NBA as it seeks to deepen its connection with fans, develop young athletes and expand its presence in international markets.
The surge is especially visible online. Video views across NBA Asia’s social media channels jumped 88% year over year, according to league data provided to CNBC. Followers on the NBA’s regional social platforms have also nearly doubled during the 2025-26 season.
Speaking with CNBC’s JP Ong, Sheila Rasu, the NBA’s vice president for Southeast Asia, highlighted the strength and dedication of fans in the region. “Basketball is probably the fastest growing sport in Southeast Asia,” Rasu said. “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.
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.
