The future Heo Woong and Heo Hoon are rising: Gyeongbok High School twins, NBA prospects, to compete in the 'Star Awards'... Korea aims for back-to-back titles

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korean basketball prospects Yoon Ji-won and Yoon Ji-hoon, known as the "future Heo Woong and Heo Hoon," will take the stage at the NBA's prospect event.

The NBA will hold the 2nd NBA Rising Stars Invitational 2026 from the 23rd to the 28th at the OCBC Arena in Kallang, Singapore.

The NBA Rising Stars Invitational is a tournament organized by the NBA to discover high school basketball prospects in the Asia-Pacific region. It was first held last year, with Yongsan High School's boys' team and Onyang Girls' High School's girls' team participating in the inaugural edition.

Both teams delivered impressive results. Yongsan High School, led by Eddie Daniel, who now plays for the Seoul SK in the professional league, defeated the affiliated high school of Tsinghua University in China to claim the championship. It was a valuable victory overcoming a height disadvantage. Onyang Girls' High School, which drew attention as an "upset team," also secured the runner-up position, showcasing the competitiveness of South Korean high school basketball.

This year's tournament will feature 24 boys' and girls' high school teams from the Asia-Pacific region under the age of 18. In South Korea, Gyeongbok High School's boys' team and Gwangju Suifa Girls' High School's girls' team will participate.

If Gyeongbok High School, which has already won the domestic triple crown this year, also claims the title at this Rising Stars event, South Korea will achieve back-to-back championships in the tournament.

Im Sung-in, coach of Gyeongbok High School, told StarNews on the 19th, "It will be a valuable experience for the players. The players are also looking forward to competing in such a special tournament." He added, "From the school's perspective, participating in the Rising Stars is an honor. Of course, given that Yongsan High School achieved good results in the first tournament last year, there is also a sense of pressure. It is a tournament approached with both anticipation and pressure."

At the heart of Gyeongbok High School are the "twin brothers," Yoon Ji-won and Yoon Ji-hoon. Both players possess outstanding skills, having been selected for the national team at the age of 18. They were also selected as the 26th Kim Hyun-jun Basketball Koo Jang-hak-geum (수상) Award winners.

In particular, Yoon Ji-won won the Mirae Star Award at the "2025 Futures Star Awards," established last year by StarNews to promote the development of Korean sports and revitalize amateur athletics. At the same awards ceremony, Eddie Daniel received the Star Award, given to the top player across basketball, soccer, and volleyball.

At that time, the Basketball Division Selection Committee, consisting of Kim Hwa-soon, Vice President of the Korea Basketball Association; Sung Jeong-a, Director of the Korea Basketball Association; Lee Ho-geun, head coach of Dongguk University; Ahn Deok-soo, Director of the Korea Basketball Association and Secretary-General of the Korea Women's Basketball League; and Shin Seok, Director of the Korea High School Basketball Federation, evaluated Yoon Ji-won as follows: "Since entering high school, he has become more agile and his basketball skills have improved. Although he is a year younger, he has grown into a player who can compete with Daniel. If Daniel is known for his power, Yoon Ji-won is a well-rounded player with greater future value. If Yongsan High School has Daniel, Gyeongbok High School has Yoon Ji-won."

Coach Im Sung-in also highly praised the growth of the twin brothers. First, he commended Yoon Ji-won for his body management and shooting development.

Coach Im said, "Until middle school, Ji-won was on the heavier side and slower. However, he successfully went through the process of losing weight and building muscle to gain strength. Until his second year, there were some insecurities in his shooting. I told him, 'To grow further, shooting must become your weapon,' and he put in a lot of effort last winter. As a result, he showed good form this season. With shooting added to his arsenal, he now has more weapons to use."

He continued, "He has excellent basketball IQ and possesses various basketball senses. However, without shooting, it might not be too difficult for opposing defenses, but he has worked very hard on that aspect. He has definitely grown a lot."

He also expressed expectations for Yoon Ji-hoon. Coach Im said, "Last year, he played a supportive role for his older brother, but this year, his own offensive style is emerging. Yoon Ji-hoon is also a player with great basketball sense and defense."

He also praised their fighting spirit. Coach Im said, "During the championship game last Yeon Maeng (Chairman), Yoon Ji-hoon played with a fractured finger. He didn't talk about the injury until after the game was over. There aren't many players like that these days. Usually, if they are injured, they say they are injured, but these two are different."

Furthermore, Coach Im said, "Both Yoon Ji-won and Yoon Ji-hoon are players with strong competitiveness. Although their basketball styles differ, they complement each other well, which has a positive impact on the team. When given advice on how to grow, they work hard themselves."

In the boys' division of this tournament, Gyeongbok High School will compete alongside Japan's Tottori Johoku High School, Taiwan's Tsinghua University Affiliated High School, Philippines' FEU Diliman High School, and Thailand's Assumption College Thonburi. In the Rising Stars, 12 teams each in the boys' and girls' divisions will play in the group stage, followed by single-elimination semifinals and finals. The opening ceremony and group stage will be held from the 23rd to the 25th, the semifinals on the 26th, and the final on the 28th.

Given the tight schedule and the number of games to be played, the team cannot rely solely on the twin brothers. Coach Im emphasized the need for other players, such as Eom Sung-min, to perform well. The growth of the bench strength is also an important challenge.

Coach Im said, "In the Rising Stars, players who are not in the starting five will also get playing time, and this tournament will be an opportunity for their growth. I hope those players will play with confidence." He added, "While the twin brothers are the core, if the other players perform better, the team can become stronger. We intend to give opportunities to various players."

Coach Im prioritized the process, that is, the growth of the players, over the results. He said, "If given the chance, winning would be great. However, the process is also important." He continued, "Games do not always result in a win. We gave our all in every game domestically, and we will do the same at the Rising Stars. This tournament can also be a process of growth."

He further emphasized, "Since players from various countries around the world will gather, it is a tournament worth watching closely. It will be a great opportunity for the players."

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*This content was translated by AI.