The NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australian Qualifier is delivered by Basketball Magic — the licensed Australian operator of NBA Basketball School Australia — under exclusive agreement with the NBA. Together, they're building the pathway that takes the best of Australian high school talent to the world stage.
Basketball Magic is an Australian-owned sports management company focused on grassroots basketball development. Officially licensed by the NBA under a multi-year agreement, Basketball Magic is the promoter of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australian Qualifier and the operator of NBA Basketball School Australia — the first NBA Basketball School on Australian soil.
Founded to create world-class pathways for young Australian athletes, Basketball Magic fuses elite coaching, cultural immersion and competitive play into programs that develop confident, well-rounded players on and off the court. From grassroots camps to international tours, every program is built around the same mission: inspire the next generation, connect them to the global game, and give them every opportunity to succeed.
A former NCAA Division 1 athlete, master coach and international scout for the Dallas Mavericks, Ben has worked alongside the Australian Boomers and the Sydney Kings. He founded Basketball Magic and NBA Basketball School Australia, and holds a Master of Education (Sports Coaching) from the University of Sydney.
Tournament Director for the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australian Qualifier. Sarah leads end-to-end delivery of the three-day Melbourne event — fixtures, officials, school liaison and competition operations — drawing on a deep background in junior basketball, event management and athlete experience across the NBA Basketball School Australia national network.
Technical Director for the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australian Qualifier. Luke leads the on-court technical program — setting coaching standards, overseeing NBA-aligned practice and player development, and supporting selected schools through the qualifier — building on his work delivering NBA Basketball School Australia’s curriculum across the country.
"To inspire, connect and empower youth in Australia through the power of basketball."
— NBA Basketball School Australia
NBA Basketball School Australia is the first NBA Basketball School on Australian soil — an NBA-approved program operated by Basketball Magic under multi-year licence. Since opening its first program at Cranbrook School in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs in February 2023, the School has expanded across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT.
The program has set the gold standard for youth basketball training in Australia, at both grassroots and elite levels. Young players access a comprehensive NBA-approved curriculum delivered by NBA-certified coaches — with direct input from NBA coaches, former NBA players and player development experts.
NBA Basketball School is a global network of tuition-based skills programs open to youth players aged 6–18. Since 2017, Schools have been launched in more than 30 countries across six continents.
NBA Basketball School Australia runs national trials each year to identify and evaluate top boys’ and girls’ basketball talent in every state. Successful trialists are invited into the NBA Basketball School pathway — including international tours, NBA-led training camps and selection for representative teams.
Open to all boys and girls aged 11–17, regardless of club or school. Learn more about the National Trials program →
For the first time, boys' and girls' First V teams from across Australia compete on a single national stage — selected, graded and sanctioned under the NBA Rising Stars Invitational framework.
Winning teams represent Australia at the 2026 RSI Finals in Singapore, competing against the best high school talent from across Asia-Pacific — including China, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.
In 2027, the Qualifier expands into a national competition spanning more than 50+ schools per gender — Australia's answer to March Madness, and the most prestigious high school basketball tournament the country has ever seen.
