The Rise of Vietnamese Basketball: From Street Courts to Professional Arenas

On an August evening in 2026, at the Ho Xuan Huong Arena in Da Nang, I witnessed a moment I will never forget. The third game of the 2026 VBA Finals between Saigon Heat and Thang Long Warriors was in its final seconds. The score was 87-85 in favor of the visitors, and the ball was in the hands of Nguyen Huynh Hai - the player dubbed "Vietnam's Messi of basketball." He moved past two defenders, jumped at the three-point line, and released the decisive shot. As the ball spun in the air, the entire arena seemed to hold its breath. The ball dropped through the net, and the roar erupted. Saigon Heat had won their third consecutive VBA championship. But for me, that moment was more than just a beautiful play. It was the culmination of a long journey that Vietnamese basketball had undergone - from cracked concrete courts in urban neighborhoods to modern arenas with thousands of spectators. I have followed Vietnamese basketball since its early days, and I can say that this development is not accidental. It is the result of a systematic building process, with passionate people and a long-term vision. Basketball has been present in Vietnam since the 1950s, but for decades, it was merely a secondary sport, overshadowed by football. Basketball courts were mainly located in schools and military zones, and there was no professional league. Players were often young people who loved the sport, but they had no opportunity to develop their skills systematically. I remember in the 1990s, when I was a kid in Saigon, I used to play basketball on a concrete court near my house, with a hoop made from an old tire. It was a crude experience, but it planted in me a love for this sport. Things began to change in the 2010s, as the wave of foreign investment into Vietnam increased, and with it, interest in sports other than football. In 2026, Vietnam's first professional basketball league - VBA (Vietnam Basketball Association) - was established. This was a major turning point, as it created a professional platform for Vietnamese players and naturalized players alike. The VBA started with 5 teams: Saigon Heat, Thang Long Warriors, Hanoi Buffaloes, Danang Dragons, and Cantho Catfish. Immediately, the league attracted the attention of the youth. Matches were broadcast live, and players became beloved stars. But more importantly, the VBA created a youth development system, with basketball academies established in major cities. The Ho Chi Minh City Basketball Academy, founded in 2026, is one of the first and largest. It not only trains young players but also organizes courses for coaches and referees. I have visited this academy many times, and I am always impressed by the professionalism in their training organization. Young players learn basic techniques, tactics, and sports nutrition. They also compete in youth tournaments to gain experience. The development of Vietnamese basketball can be analyzed through several factors. First is infrastructure. Over the past 10 years, the number of basketball courts in Vietnam has increased significantly. According to statistics from the Vietnam Basketball Federation, in 2026, the country had only about 200 standard basketball courts. By 2026, this number had increased to over 1,000 courts, including both indoor and outdoor facilities. Major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang all have modern arenas capable of hosting professional matches. The Quan Khu 7 Arena in Ho Chi Minh City, with a capacity of 5,000 seats, is one of the most modern arenas in Southeast Asia. Second is investment in youth development. Basketball academies such as the Ho Chi Minh City Basketball Academy and the Hanoi Basketball Academy have been established, with systematic training programs from basic to advanced levels. Many young players have been sent to the US, Australia, and European countries to study and compete. This has created a new generation of players with good technique and modern tactical thinking. A typical example is Tran Dang Khoa, who was trained at the Ho Chi Minh City Basketball Academy before studying in the US. When he returned, he became one of the best centers in the VBA, with excellent rebounding and scoring ability in the paint. Third is community participation. Basketball has become a popular sport among the youth, especially in major cities. Grassroots tournaments are held regularly, and basketball clubs are springing up like mushrooms. This creates a large pool of potential players for professional teams. I have witnessed the development of 3x3 tournaments in Vietnam, a variant of traditional basketball, very popular among the youth. These tournaments not only help popularize the sport but also create a healthy competitive environment for young players. However, I don't listen to what they say in front of the camera - I listen to what they say after the lights go out. And what I hear from Vietnamese coaches and players is an intense desire to reach out to the regional and continental level. They don't just want to win in the VBA; they want to compete with strong teams like the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. I remember a conversation with the head coach of Saigon Heat, David Singleton, a Vietnamese-American. He told me: "We don't just want to build a strong team, we want to build a basketball culture in Vietnam." And that is exactly what I see happening. Despite the impressive development of Vietnamese basketball, there are still major challenges that few people talk about. The first challenge is financial. The VBA is still not truly profitable, and many teams depend on corporate sponsorship. Player salaries are still low compared to the regional average, which causes many talented players to choose to play abroad. According to a VBA report, the average salary of a VBA player is about 20 million VND per month, while in Thailand, this figure is about 50 million VND. This gap is a major problem. The second challenge is height. Vietnamese people have a lower average height compared to other countries in the region, which is a major disadvantage in basketball. According to World Health Organization data, the average height of Vietnamese men is about 168 cm, while in the Philippines it is 165 cm, but in Thailand it is 171 cm and in Indonesia it is 170 cm. Although efforts have been made to improve nutrition and training, the physical gap remains a difficult barrier to overcome. However, I have seen Vietnamese players with good height, like Tran Dang Khoa at 2m05, or Justin Young at 1m95. The problem is not that there are no tall people, but that the number of tall people is limited. The third challenge is cultural. Football is still the number one sport in Vietnam, and basketball still has to compete fiercely for public attention and sponsors. Many people still view basketball as a "foreign" sport, not suitable for Vietnamese culture. I have heard many people say that "basketball is an American sport," and they don't understand why Vietnamese people play it. But I believe that, like Croatia 2026: history is not for those with the most stars, but for those with the best story. And Vietnamese basketball is having a great story - a story of rising from nothing, of passion and perseverance. One of the most important factors in the development of Vietnamese basketball is the emergence of Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) players. These players, born and raised abroad but of Vietnamese descent, have brought a superior level of technique and physicality. Justin Young, a Vietnamese-American player, has become one of the best players in the VBA. He has diverse scoring ability, from three-point shooting to driving to the basket. The emergence of players like Justin has raised the quality of the league and set a new standard for Vietnamese players. But I also notice a problem: over-reliance on Viet Kieu players may slow down the development of pure Vietnamese players. If teams only focus on recruiting Viet Kieu players, they may neglect training domestic players. This could lead to a situation I call "two-tier basketball": a tier of Viet Kieu players with good technique, and a tier of pure Vietnamese players left behind. To avoid this, the VBA needs to have regulations encouraging teams to use domestic players, and invest more in youth training. So what does the future hold for Vietnamese basketball? I believe it will continue to develop, but at a slower pace than the 2026-2026 period. The rapid growth phase is over, and now is the time for consolidation and sustainable development. The VBA needs to improve professional quality, strengthen youth training, and build a sustainable financial system. I have seen many sports leagues in Vietnam grow fast and then fade away, and I don't want that to happen to basketball. At 54, I no longer look for answers. I look for the right questions for each game. And the right question for Vietnamese basketball right now is: How to turn this development into a sustainable foundation, rather than just a passing fad? The answer lies in building a strong youth development system, investing in infrastructure, and creating a real basketball culture in Vietnam. If that is done, Vietnamese basketball can not only compete in the region but also reach out to Asia. I have followed Vietnamese basketball since its early days, and I can say that I have never seen such an impressive development in such a short time. But that development needs to be nurtured carefully. If not, it may wither like other sports fads that have occurred in Vietnam. Vietnamese basketball is at a critical crossroads. And how the managers, coaches, and players face these challenges will determine the future of this sport in Vietnam. I recall a saying from a young coach at the Hanoi Basketball Academy: "We don't just train players, we train people with character." That is a correct philosophy. Basketball is not just a sport; it is a school of life. It teaches young people about perseverance, teamwork, and the ability to face failure. And those are values that Vietnam needs in its development process. When I look back at the journey of Vietnamese basketball, I see a similarity with Croatia's story at the 2026 World Cup. Croatia, a small country with a population of only 4 million, reached the World Cup final. They didn't have as many stars as France or Brazil, but they had a story, a spirit, and a unity. Vietnamese basketball is the same. We don't have many tall players like the Philippines or China, but we have a passion and a desire to rise. And that is the most important thing. I will continue to follow Vietnamese basketball, not only as an analyst but also as a fan of this sport. I believe that one day, we will see a Vietnamese basketball team compete at the SEA Games and win a gold medal. And when that happens, I will remember the moment at the Ho Xuan Huong Arena, when Nguyen Huynh Hai made the decisive shot, and the whole arena erupted in joy. That is the moment I believe will be the beginning of a new era for Vietnamese basketball.