▲ Lee Hyun-jung takes photos with fans after the awards ceremony.
Striving to become the greatest in South Korean basketball history, ace Lee Hyun-jung said, "I will celebrate this gold medal today and until tomorrow, and now it is a new beginning back in the United States."
Even after bringing South Korea its first Asian Games gold medal in 12 years, he is already looking ahead to the next tournament championship, the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and further down the road, the needle-eye-narrow Olympic stage.
The gold medal won at his first major international multi-sport event is merely a stepping stone for his leap forward and one of countless milestones to come.
Meeting reporters in the mixed zone after defeating Japan 67-57 in the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held yesterday (September 20) at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Lee said, "Winning the Asian Games is an honor, but honestly, it still falls far short of my goals."
When asked about his ultimate goal, he said, "I have achieved very little so far. I want to step onto the stages of the World Cup and the Olympics, and there are so many things I want to do, such as advancing to the National Basketball Association (NBA)."
He added, "I want to win every game I play for the national team from now on and hear people say, 'South Korean basketball is really good.'"
Lee is the primary driving force behind South Korea's conquest of Asia in this tournament, leading the team to lift its 5th championship trophy in history.
He willingly threw himself into doing the dirty work and delivered clutch perimeter shots whenever scoring was needed.
In the final as well, he put on a stellar performance, pouring in a game-high 27 points to go with 18 rebounds for a double-double.
However, the score Lee gave himself for his performance in this tournament was merely 70 to 80 out of 100.
Reflecting on his play, he said, "There is actually no game that I am completely satisfied with. Even today, there were moments when I gave up rebounds or missed free throws, and I should have handled the game more cool-headedly," evaluating his performance at 70 to 80 points.
While holding himself to strict standards, he showed unwavering trust in his teammates and coaching staff who played alongside him.
Expressing his gratitude, he said, "I am receiving a lot of attention right now, but I would not exist without the 11 players on the bench and the coaching staff. I usually cry when I win a championship, but I felt overwhelmed thinking about the fans, my teammates, and the coaching staff."
In particular, he showed special affection for head coach Nikolajs Mazurs, who led the team to the top despite criticism from inside and outside.
Lee remarked, "When I look at the coach, it reminds me of myself when I first challenged myself on the overseas stage. He took charge alone in an unfamiliar country without his own coaching staff, and he struggled resolutely amidst a lot of noise from the surroundings."
He added, "It just took a little time to instill new tactics in the players, and there was a strong desire to run even harder for the coach."
Leaving behind the honor of the Asian Games gold medal, Lee immediately embarks on a new challenge.
Having steadily knocked on the door of the US stage, he kept his hopes of entering the NBA alive by signing a one-year non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers early this month, right before the tournament.
Without a moment to rest, he will head to the United States on the 26th to dive into a fierce survival competition.
Although he could have secured a stable life playing for the Nagasaki Velca in the Japanese B.League for the 2025-2026 season, there was no hesitation or regret in his choice to pursue a challenge.
"I chose this without regret because it is part of the process toward my dream," he said. "I felt like I would regret it for the rest of my life if I did not take this path."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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