From left to right: John Xu, Adriana Pham Lauren Li, Kianna Smith, Donny Khan, Kelsie Whitmore, Lo Van Pham, Park Khosla, Allan Chiu, Nam Nguyen. Bottom: Cassidy Rooke, Jessica Liu, Joy Essaghof.

“When I moved to the States from Taiwan, the only way I knew how to fit in in school was through sports,” opened Joe Tsai, governor of the Brooklyn Nets. “But lucky for me I was already obsessed with them.”

Growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey during his high school years, Tsai found love not in the classroom, but on the field and court. Football and baseball grabbed his attention initially – he made the football team in high school, playing for four years. He was also introduced to lacrosse, which he continued to play in college. He believes that the lessons learned through adversity in sports directly correlate to those learned in life.

Ultimately, sports played a crucial part in Tsai’s experience to pursue his dream. The dream every kid can live through outside of a classroom. “After every loss, you learn how to bounce back,” Tsai explained. “If you fail, you can always bounce back.”

That same message is what inspired the NBA, WNBA, and its Asian American and Pacific Islander community members to host initiatives that give youth a platform to succeed.

Hosted and brought to life by the NBA APEX team, the 2023 AAPI Sports and Culture Symposium highlights difference-makers and trailblazers in the sports industry. ‘On The Rise’ is a compliment to Asian countries creating a pipeline for more Asian talent in the US sports world.

The event brought out notable AAPI representatives including authors and sports figures in and outside of the game. It encouraged ideas and networking, but also praise and celebration for the outstanding work that has been and continues to be done around AAPI representation in sports.

To wrap up the month of May, NBA APEX hosted the 2023 AAPI Sports and Culture Symposium.

Following the opening remarks, the audience was able to dig a little deeper into the life experiences and upbringings of the panel attendees. Hosted by author Min Jin Lee, the audience heard from Kianna Smith, the first Korean American WNBA player, Lo Van Pham, the first Asian American NFL official, Kelsie Whitmore, a pitcher and outfielder for the women’s national team, and Donny Khan, the NHL director of hockey development. 

From the NBA side, Commissioner Adam Silver, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and Tsai were in attendance. Jeremy Lin also shared some comments about his experience in the league and beyond. 

During the panel discussion, the speakers talked about various issues such as obstacles while pursuing a career in sports, the underrepresentation of Asian athletes in the media and their personal experiences. 

“Without having someone to look up to, encouraging youth who fall under the AAPI scope can be challenging,” Smith said. Over the last year, the AAPI representation in collegiate sports has grown by 50%, but still covers the lowest percentage of all other demographics.

“When I talk to kids in the community about pursuing their dreams in sports, I always keep it light-hearted,” she explains. “It’s important to keep it fun while they are young and teach them that it is okay to make a mistake. It’s important to make sure perfecting the game doesn’t emulate work instead of play.”

“In certain Asian communities, they may not see people playing basketball at the collegiate level, so being able to show them that it is possible and you can go and be successful, all stems from more representation.”

Numerous panelists spoke on how their parents and relatives were their heroes and how they sacrificed to give them better lives. Many traveled overseas to the US for better opportunities, growth and personal success. They all found their way through sports, beating the odds despite low percentage of AAPI representation. 

Speakers at ‘On The Rise’ ranged from various sports industries such as the NBA, NFL, NHL and more.

Whitmore provided a slightly different answer when asked about her heroes growing up. She mentioned how her parents gave her the platform and support she needed to succeed on the field but ever since she was young, she looked up to Jackie Robinson. “It was inspiring watching him pursue the game he loved while facing adversity,” Whitmore explained. 

Whitmore continues to compete at the pro level for the Staten Island FerryHawks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. She was the first woman to appear in the starting lineup of a league game in its history and continues to face adversity on a daily basis because of her outstanding success in a male dominant sport. 

Similarly, the AAPI community and sports enthusiasts alike are working to break down barriers for more increased youth involvement. Donny Khan does exactly that. Growing up, his parents moved them from Pakistan to the States for a better life. Coming from close to nothing, Donny worked his way to Director of Hockey Development for the NHL. 

“Hockey is not an easy sport to get into, it’s all about finding a place to play,” Donny said. “It is up to us as leagues to provide the resources to the kids that are interested, but might not have the access.” He shared that there is not one single model you can follow when you have a wide demographic of athletes trying to get into the sport. Bringing the game to places it hasn’t gone before is the first step. 

The NHL started its ‘Learn to Play’ program in an effort to do just that. The program allows kids to get full equipment and six weeks of on-ice training for affordable costs. The league is dedicated to bringing this program deeper into communities where access may not be as available. 

“All four teams that are playing in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals weren’t hockey markets not too long ago. It just goes to show you that if you bring the game to the people, you get more people from all different backgrounds coming to play.”