About the project
Client
NBA Asia
Year
2025
Type
Documentary Series
Format
Branded Content
Our role
End-to-end production
Production
Bearcub, Canberra
A 15-part mini-documentary series produced with the NBA, Level Up follows ten rising athletes as they navigate the demands of elite basketball, personal sacrifice and the pursuit of a championship title. The series looks beyond performance, capturing the human stories that shape life on and off the court.
The Rising Stars Invitational
The Rising Stars Invitational is the NBA’s premier youth tournament in the Asia-Pacific, bringing the region’s most promising young players together to compete in Singapore. Produced with NBA Asia, Level Up became a 15-part series following two athletes from each of six countries: Australia, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, China and Korea.
Beyond the court
Each country’s story unfolds over three episodes: where the players come from, how they train, and what it feels like to compete on an international stage. We travelled to their hometowns, schools and training halls, then followed the teams in Singapore as the tournament played out, ending with Yongsan High School and Kyoto Seika crowned the inaugural champions. At its core, it’s a story about ambition without shortcuts.
