Hot-Handed Lee Hyun-jung: Just Two Games Away From Gold [AG Video]

Playing in his first major international multi-sport event bearing the Taegeuk mark, men's basketball ace Lee Hyun-jung delivered a stellar performance to lead South Korea to the Asian Games semifinals for the first time in eight years.

Lee erupted for a game-high 28 points, guiding South Korea to a dominant 114-80 victory over Jordan in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 16.

Lee showcased a scorching performance by sinking 6 out of 10 three-point attempts, posting a 67% field goal success rate (10/15) while adding 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

This year's Asian Games men's basketball tournament has drawn particular attention as it offers the national team a chance to restore its honor following a disappointing quarterfinal exit and a joint-lowest ever seventh-place finish in Hangzhou three years ago, alongside the gold medal pursuit of Lee, who is regarded as a generational talent.

Having attended Davidson College in the U.S. and knocking on the door of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Lee can receive military service exemptions if he wins a gold medal at the Asian Games, allowing him to further dedicate himself to his overseas career.

After displaying his scoring prowess by netting 23 points in the opening group match against Saudi Arabia on Sept. 10, Lee spearheaded the team's consecutive victories with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the second match against Indonesia on Sept. 11, and 16 points and 7 assists in the third match against Japan on Sept. 13.

In the first tournament match, he exploded for his highest number of 3-pointers of the tournament so far and spared no effort on defense, anchoring the team.
 
After the match, Lee shared his thoughts, saying, "Instead of focusing on individual players, all 12 of us accept our respective roles and fight solely for the team's victory. Those efforts clicked well and led to a great result."

He added, "As a player, it's a joy to compete, and knowing how much of an honor it is to represent the country, I have no fatigue at all. I'm trying to do my absolute best and have fun in every game."

With the steadfast presence of ace Lee, the men's national basketball team has been gradually washing away concerns over their performance that persisted following the appointment of head coach Nikolajs Mazurs, marching step by step toward the gold medal.

Lee remarked, "The players are growing to better understand the brand of basketball the coach pursues, and we try to communicate a lot in the middle. The players are making many sacrifices in their roles. Choi Jun-yong and Mun Jung-hyun are both doing so, and their defensive efforts while making sacrifices are a huge boost."

He emphasized, "Even without a big man, the players fought hard and a lot of good shots went in until the end, which is positive. However, we will face physically stronger opponents ahead and might be at a disadvantage in height, so wingmen and tall guards like myself need to help out more in the rebounding battle. Finishing games even better than we are doing now is also important."

If Lee gets past the semifinals and finals to claim the gold medal, he will follow in the footsteps of his mother, Sung Jung-ah, a women's basketball gold medalist at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, creating a mother-son gold medalist legacy.

When asked if his mother offered any words of encouragement during the tournament, Lee laughed and said, "We are cool about it. She just asks, 'Are you okay?', and I respond with, 'I'm okay.'"

He stated firmly, "If you talk too much about the gold medal, things that should work out won't. I just focus on how to win in the situation right in front of me. Of course, winning the gold medal together [with my mother] would naturally be wonderful, but rather than being conscious of a 'mother-son gold medal,' I am only thinking about winning together with my teammates."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.