Young and restless Vietnam hyped for return to FIBA competitions

HO CHI MINH CITY (Vietnam) - The wait is almost over.

Justin Duong Young is waiting. He warms up, takes shots, and works on his game at the Vietnam national basketball team’s practice facility patiently waiting. Waiting for practice to start. Waiting for practice to end. Waiting day after day as the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Pre-Qualifiers gets closer and closer.

The Waiting Game

And the wait will be over on November 10 when Vietnam takes the court against Tahiti at the UG Arena in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

For Young, he’s waiting for his first appearance with the Vietnam national team in a FIBA competition. For Vietnam, this will be their first time playing in at the FIBA Asia regional level in nearly over half a century - since 1965.

It’s not surprising that Young and Vietnam are restless and hyped up for these games up ahead,

"To be a part of this team feels extra special because we have worked tirelessly for the past 6 years to make basketball in Vietnam relevant to the rest of our region," Young said.

"This team represents the successes and hardships we have had through those years and now we get to prove to everyone else that Vietnam can compete with other countries at this level."

Vietnam's Preliminary roster for Asia Cup 2025 Pre-Qualifiers

Tran Dang Khoa	Du Minh An	Dang Thai Hung	Vo Ban Kim
Nguyen Van Hung	Le Hieu Thanh	Nguyen Huynh Phu Vinh	Dinh Sang Thanh
Huynh Quang Vinh	Nguyen Thang Van	Nguyen Kiet Anh	Nguyen Vinh Phuc
Son Tam Minh	Tran Hieu Minh	Justin Duong Young

 
Despite his namesake, Young is among the players with the most seniority on the team at 29 years old. Moreover, he’s considered the captain of the relatively young team as they set to sail in uncharted waters.

It could be overwhelming for some players, but this is not some new for the 1.93M (6'4") forward. He’s already captained the red and gold national team squads before, albeit in different settings - the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

"Of course, the SEA Games is already a high standard for competition in Southeast Asia so to compete in that for the last two Games was truly a blessing and an unforgettable experience," said Young.

"It's always an honor to put on a national team jersey and represent your country. I got to experience playing in the Philippines, where basketball is unmatched in SEA, and in our home country which was amazing."

In the Philippines back in 2019, Young was able to make history with Vietnam basketball by helping the national team claim the nation’s first ever SEA Games medal in basketball with a bronze medal finish.

 

That thrill of representing the nation is what has always kept Young antsy for the next opportunity to do so once again. These high stakes situations can be a pressure-cooker, but Young knows that he and the team have to rise up to the challenge.

"There wasn't so much pressure as there was anxiety and excitement because competing internationally has always been my goal with the national team. This is the only way for us to improve. Every game and every country that I play is a pleasure for me personally. It's the journey that really keeps me coming back to these competitions."

However, this time it is a bit different. At the very least during the Asia Cup 2025 Pre-Qualifiers, Vietnam will not only be going up against their Southeast Asian rivals like Thailand and Malaysia. They will also be playing against teams from across Asia-Oceania whether it’s Mongolia or Tahiti. If they make it to the Second Round, they could face the likes of Hong Kong and Guam as well.

 

And if they can continue to advance, Vietnam could make it to the Asia Cup Qualifiers where they get the chance to match up Asia Cup powerhouses like Australia, Lebanon, and China.

"Since this will be the first in a very long time that Vietnam is competing outside of Southeast Asia, I really don't know what to expect so I'm just looking forward to the journey ahead of us and for us to compete at the highest level for 4 games. There's a lot of uncertainty and excitement going into this event as it will be all of our first times competing in a FIBA Asia event."

The Journey

Young has come a long way. The native of California only started playing basketball at the age of 10, just "because I was taller than kids my age". After having already tried golf, tennis, and swimming as well, Young didn’t think too much of basketball initially.

He always had fun playing basketball because he got to hang out with his friends, but then his high school team started winning a lot more. This was getting noticed around the city and Young’s contribution and level of play began to draw attention from college coaches. And that’s when, in his words, he thought he take his young career to another level.

One thing led to another and in 2016, Young began playing professionally in the Vietnam Basketball Association (VBA). Coincidentally, Young’s rookie season was the VBA’s "rookie" or inaugural season as well, a major step forward in development of Vietnam basketball.

 

From there, both Young and Vietnam basketball have grown alongside each other.

"Vietnam basketball has seen a growth exponentially since I started my career in 2016," he said. "It was one of the top watched sports in the country and I expect it to be number one soon. From the grassroots level to the pro, people of all ages seem to take a liking into basketball. Basketball courts around the country are being built and kids start to learn playing at an earlier age now. Basketball has even just been announced by the government to be taught at every school as a subject now, which is big news for us."

"All of these progresses makes me feel proud of the sport I play and it keeps me motivated to play as long as I can to inspire the younger generation to follow in my footsteps."

It’s those young fans and the growing fanbase that has fueled the competitive fire within Young and his teammates.

"The basketball fans in Vietnam are awesome. They are loyal, loud, and have the most love to give to the players. They have supported players like myself since I first started. They have an unwavering love not only for the players, but also the game of basketball itself."

"I'm very proud to play for a country like Vietnam and to have the support from our fans behind us every step of the way."

The Future

Being a part of the Asia Cup Pre-Qualifiers here is a good start for Vietnam basketball and it’s only just scratching the surface.

"I would like to see more activities for Vietnam basketball in terms of international competition," said Young.

"This is the only way basketball in Vietnam can grow and get better."

These expectations from the captain is not only for while he is actively playing on the court. The veteran is also looking ahead into the future with current young players like Vo Ban Kim and Nguyen Huynh Phu Vinh taking up bigger roles.

"I expect the younger generation to have a stronger foundation of skills and strength and become better players than us because of the new training programs that we have developed throughout the years."

The wait is almost over.

Not only the wait for Justin Duong Young’s FIBA debut.
Not only the wait for Vietnam’s return to FIBA Asia competition.

But for Vietnam basketball who have come a long way over the past decade, the wait for their rise is almost over.

FIBA