The NBA’s next search isn’t for a superstar. It’s for the next big idea
David Lee, NBA Chief Investment Officer. (Image: NBA Rising Stars Invitational) Tech Word News. com in Singapore: The talk surrounding the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Invitational at the OCBC Arena in Singapore has focused on the players, and rightly so. Who could make the leap? Who could become the next Victor Wembanyama?However, in the concourse at the Iconic Marina Bay Sands, roughly 5km from the OCBC Arena, the conversation is different.Here, the NBA isn’t looking for players; looking for a founder. This is not for another defender. It was for another idea.The NBA talked about the founders, artificial intelligence, sports technology and companies that could shape the way basketball is played, watched and experienced for years to come.That idea came into focus Thursday when the league announced a dedicated “Future of Basketball in Asia” track as part of the NBA Launchpad, its innovation program that connects emerging technology companies with the NBA and WNBA.Starting this September, startups from all over Asia will have a reserved path to the program.David Lee, head of NBA Investments, said during the announcement that the move reflects how the league’s relationship with the region has evolved.“I think in Asia, global sports teams are not just looking at a market that’s trying to grow. It’s becoming the creator of the innovations that we want to see.“Launchpad’s renewed focus in the Asia region is not just about expanding our geographic reach, but about building a more globally focused and connected innovation ecosystem around basketball.“This is not a one-year initiative or a one-time interest. It is an investment we have decided to make for the future of basketball and innovation across Asia.”The announcement itself only took a few minutes before one of this year’s Launchpad companies, Singapore-based Swish Basket, showed off its AI-powered basketball training platform.The NBA is making it clear that it wants to get closer to where the next generation of sports technology is being built.
(Image: NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
More than an investment program
Launchpad started in 2022 with a simple goal. Find young companies creating technologies that could improve basketball.Over time, the program has expanded beyond on-court innovation to include media, fan engagement, artificial intelligence and business solutions.Each year, a handful of startups spend six months working alongside various NBA business units before presenting their work during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.Speak exclusively to Tech Word News. withLee said investment was never the starting point.“Launchpad started about five years ago, originally in 2022, with the goal of finding companies that were creating exciting technologies to improve the game of basketball on the court.“Since year two, we’ve expanded beyond on-court innovation to include off-court businesses.“The primary goal is to identify companies that can help us innovate.“There is also a capital component at the end of the program. After the Demo Day, we will decide whether we want to invest in the company. If so, we will continue to support it afterwards.”
(Image: NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
The program, he explained, grew out of a challenge that many sports startups still face.Unlike companies developing products for banking, healthcare or enterprise software, companies that create technology specifically for sports often struggle to attract investors because the market seems relatively small.The NBA saw an opportunity to change that.“There has been and continues to be a lot of innovation in sports. The challenge for early-stage startups, especially those focused on sports, is to find the right champion to help them continue to build what they’re working on.“Because the overall addressable market for many sports technologies is relatively small, investors have not always been enthusiastic about these companies, even though their work could be extremely valuable to the NBA.“We wanted to be more active in this space. We wanted to help these companies gain exposure through the NBA to make our use case more attractive to other investors and the broader ecosystem.”For young companies, this validation can often be as valuable as the funding itself.Just as important, Lee believes, is attracting founders who truly care about the sport, rather than simply seeing another business opportunity.When asked what surprised him the most since launching Launchpad, his answer wasn’t about technology or investment. It was about the people behind the ideas.“What has amazed me is the amount of passion people have for wanting to change the game,“People really love what basketball has given them. It means different things to different people, and they want to help improve it in ways that improve the experience for their families, friends and other fans.”“We receive hundreds of applications every year and it’s always exciting to see brand new concepts come out again the following year.”Lee believes this passion is often what separates a good tech company from one capable of making a lasting impact on the game.
(Image: NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
Basketball improvement store
The technology going into Launchpad solves very different problems. Some help players, others help coaches, announcers or medical staff, and increasingly, they also change the way fans experience the NBA.Earlier in the day, during a panel discussion on AI and the business of sports, Lee pointed to technologies the league is already working with.From WSC Sports, which automatically generates game highlights, to Fastbreak. ai, which helps build schedules, and Launchpad companies like SkillCorner and Springbok Analytics, which focus on player tracking and injury analysis, AI is quietly becoming a part of the NBA’s day-to-day operations.Still, Lee insists that the technology itself is never the goal. The game is.But Lee dismissed the suggestion that the next basketball revolution would come from engineers rather than players.“I don’t think that statement is entirely true,” Lee told Timesofindia. com.“The players on the field will always remain the focus. The level of competition, talent and skill among today’s players is incredible, and technology will continue to help them reach levels that may never have been possible before.”“This means that when it comes to the fan experience, technology will completely change how people experience the game.“The ability to hyper-personalize the viewer experience based on who you are is something we’ve discussed for years, but it’s finally becoming a reality.”Lee sees this transformation extending far beyond what happens on the field. According to him, the game itself will always remain the same.Virtual ads are already tailored differently depending on where the game is being watched. The next step is to make each fan’s experience personal rather than generic.“A 25-year-old man in New York shouldn’t experience the game in quite the same way as a 12-year-old girl watching in Singapore.“I’ve always believed that something is only advertising if it’s not relevant to you. If it’s relevant, then it’s information.”This reasoning also explains why the NBA is increasingly investing in areas that, at first glance, have little to do with basketball.During the AI panel, Lee brought up one example the league is particularly excited about — real-time language translation. According to him, post-match interviews often lose their relevance within a few hours. Instant translation into multiple languages allows fans around the world to interact with players while keeping the conversation current.It’s a small change.But one that reflects how the league is increasingly looking to technology as a way to reduce the distance between the game and its audience.
(Image: NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
Open invitation to India
For all the talk of Asia becoming a hub of basketball innovation, one country has yet to make a splash on the Launchpad.India.Lee admitted that the NBA is still waiting for its first Indian success.“We currently have no Launchpad portfolio companies or NBA Investments portfolio companies from India, which is something we should definitely work on.“India has always been a very important market for the NBA. It’s a market where we want to do a lot more. Given its size and potential, we’d love to have companies from there.”“If we can identify strong companies from India, it would become another way for us to strengthen our presence in this market.“Absolutely happy. We just haven’t had the luck yet. Hopefully soon.”So far, it’s a clear indication that the NBA’s ambitions in India are starting to go beyond fans, core programs and commercial partnerships.The league is also now looking for a founder.
(Image: NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
Another breakthrough
After listening to hundreds of pitches over the past five years, when this masthead asked about the one innovation he still wished existed. The question made him pause for a moment. Then smile.“Really good – and tough – question. If I knew the answer, I’d probably start a business myself.”His answer eventually came back to one area. Keep the game’s biggest stars on the field.“I think the area (of injury prevention) has not been ignored, but injury prevention is still something that needs a lot more work.“The longevity of superstar players and making sure the best players are available to compete continuously is extremely important to us.“Whether it’s simplifying MRI scans or using technology to analyze player movement, identify fatigue earlier and determine the right time for players to rest, there’s still a lot of work to be done.”Despite all the advances in artificial intelligence, computer vision and analytics, Lee believes basketball still has problems waiting to be solved.The NBA Rising Stars Invitational was built around the players of tomorrow, off the court, the conversations were about the ideas of tomorrow.Earlier in the AI session, Lee summed up the challenge facing the league in one statistic.“Ninety-nine percent of our fan base has never attended an NBA game in person. So the question is: How do we make the experience for people who can’t attend — because of distance or affordability — as close to actually being there as possible?“That’s where technology comes in.