From Indonesia to the United States: How DBL All-Star Is Building a New Generation of Indonesian Basketball Talent

For nearly two decades, DBL Indonesia has been taking Indonesia’s top young basketball players beyond the country’s borders.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, August 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- For nearly two decades, DBL Indonesia has been taking Indonesia’s top young basketball players beyond the country’s borders, not simply to win games, but to learn, compete, and discover how far they can go.

In 2026, the Kopi Good Day DBL Indonesia All-Star returned to the United States, continuing a development program that has evolved from an international learning experience into a platform where Indonesia’s best student-athletes can compete against some of the strongest players of their generation. The 2026 DBL All-Star journey to the United States lasted two weeks, from July 22 to August 3.

The path to becoming a DBL Indonesia All-Star begins through Honda DBL with Kopi Good Day, a nationwide high school basketball league in Indonesia. The best players are selected for DBL Camp, an intensive development program where they train and compete before 12 boys and 12 girls are selected for the All-Star teams.

The international program began in 2008, when DBL sent teams to Perth, Australia. Since 2010, the United States has become its primary international destination, with teams visiting cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago.

Since 2023, Chicago has become a particular focus, giving Indonesian players access to a highly competitive youth basketball environment and a broader U.S. basketball ecosystem.

The evolution of the program can be seen on the scoreboard. In 2023, the DBL All-Star girls’ team won the Chicago Summer Jam championship, while the boys reached the semifinals. In 2025, both teams won championships at the 4th Annual Circuit of Champions in Chicago.

In 2026, the girls successfully defended their title at the 24th Annual National Summer Classic, while the boys finished third, an improvement from their previous appearance at the tournament in 2024.

The trophies, however, are not the sole objective. “We want to prove that Indonesian kids have tremendous potential. If one of them eventually earns a scholarship to study or play basketball in the United States, that would be a much bigger victory for their future,” said Azrul Ananda, Founder and CEO of DBL Indonesia.

That progress has also been recognized by American coaches. “I am very happy to see them come back, win games and enjoy playing. I am very proud of this program and its development,” said Julian McElroy, Site Director of National Summer Classic-Chicago 2026.

BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD

For DBL Indonesia, All-Star program has a deeper purpose. Players learn from competition, coaches gain new perspectives, and those experiences return to Indonesia to help strengthen the next generation. Azrul gives them a message built around the idea of “pay it forward.” “The benefit you receive should be passed on to someone else. When you eventually have the opportunity, use it to help the next young person,” Azrul Said.

Through this program, DBL have made a significant on Indonesian basketball. In recent years, Indonesian basketball has reached several historic milestones across Southeast Asia, with DBL All-Star alumni playing a role in the country’s growing success at the international level.

At the 2021 SEA Games, Indonesia’s men’s national basketball team made history by winning its first-ever SEA Games gold medal, with five DBL Indonesia alumni on the roster. Indonesia defeated the Philippines in the final, marking the first time the two countries had met at the senior level with the gold medal at stake and ending a long wait for Indonesia’s breakthrough in regional basketball.

Two years later, the women’s national team followed with another historic achievement. Indonesia won the 2023 SEA Games women’s basketball gold medal, sweeping all six games of the tournament with eight DBL Indonesia alumni among the players who contributed to the championship campaign.

The success has also extended to Indonesia’s youth teams. At the 2024 ASEAN School Games in Vietnam, Indonesian student-athletes continued the country’s strong run in basketball by capturing the championship.

In 2025, another milestone followed. Indonesia’s women’s 3x3 national basketball team won its first-ever SEA Games gold medal in the discipline at the SEA Games in Thailand.

Their achievements illustrate the long-term purpose of DBL Indonesia’s player-development pathway: creating opportunities for young athletes to develop their skills and experiences early in their careers, with the potential to carry those lessons onto the national and international stage.

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KOPI GOOD DAY DBL INDONESIA ALL-STAR 2026 GIRLS VS 5STAR 2027 MOODY