Hot-Handed Lee Hyun-jung: Just Two Wins Away from Gold

Men's basketball ace Lee Hyun-jung, competing in his first major international multi-sport event wearing the Taegeuk mark, 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 commanding 114-80 victory over Jordan in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on the 16th.

Shooting 6-for-10 from beyond the arc and recording a 67% field goal percentage (10/15), Lee shone brightly while adding 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

The men's basketball tournament at this Asian Games has drawn particular attention as an opportunity for the national team to restore its pride following a disappointing quarterfinal exit and a record-low 7th-place finish in Hangzhou three years ago, alongside the gold-medal pursuit of Lee, who is widely evaluated as a generational talent.

Having graduated from Davidson College in the United States and knocked on the door of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Lee would 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 showcasing his scoring prowess with 23 points in the opening group match against Saudi Arabia on the 10th, Lee spearheaded consecutive victories with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the second match against Indonesia on the 11th, and 16 points and 7 assists in the third match against Japan on the 13th.

And in the first match of the knockout stage, he set the team's tone by sinking the most 3-pointers of the tournament so far and sparing no effort on defense.
 
Meeting with reporters after the match, Lee shared, "Rather than focusing on individual players, all 12 of us accept different roles and fight solely for the team's victory. Those aspects clicked well and led to a good result."

He added, "As a player, it's a joy to play, and knowing how much of an honor it is to represent the country, I don't feel any fatigue at all. I'm just trying to give my best in every game and have fun."

With the solid presence of ace Lee Hyun-jung, the men's basketball national team is gradually washing away concerns over its performance that persisted following head coach Nikolais Mazurs' appointment, marching step by step toward the gold medal.

Lee remarked, "The players are increasingly understanding the style of basketball the coach pursues, and I try to communicate a lot in between. The players are also making many sacrifices in their roles. Both Choi Jun-yong and Mun Jung-hyun are doing so, playing their parts on defense through sacrifice, which is a huge strength."

He emphasized, "Even without a big man, the players fought well and a lot of good shots went in until the end, which is positive. However, we will now face opponents with better physical traits and might get outmatched in height, so wing players and tall guards like myself need to help out more in the rebounding battle. Wrapping up games even better than we are doing now is also important."

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

When asked if he had received any words of encouragement from his mother during the tournament, Lee laughed and said, "We're cool about it. It's usually just my mother asking, 'Are you okay?' and me replying, 'I'm okay.'"

He stressed, "If you talk too much about winning gold, gold, gold, 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 would naturally be great, 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.