The men's basketball national team players shared their honest thoughts right after winning the gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by defeating archrival Japan, returning to the top of the podium for the first time in 12 years.

In particular, Lee Hyun-jung, the team's key scorer, candidly expressed how he felt amidst adverse conditions, including a so-called "bus no-show" incident where a scheduled bus failed to arrive ahead of the final, forcing them to cancel training, as well as home-court refereeing bias during the match.

[Lee Hyun-jung / Men's National Basketball Team : It was a bit absurd. It was absurd and ridiculous, but rather than letting it get to us, it only increased our fighting spirit. We talked about focusing solely on the game, and I think that approach worked out well.]

Regarding the absurd series of events that occurred throughout this Asian Games, Lee said, "To be honest, when situations like this happen, it makes you think, 'We need to crush them out there,'" while adding, "I try to keep a clear head and stay calm."

When asked about why he shed tears immediately after the match, his eyes grew red as he expressed his gratitude toward their foreign head coach and teammates.

[Lee Hyun-jung / Men's National Basketball Team : Our foreign coach, Mazurs, went through a lot. He came all alone to a foreign land without his own coaching staff... It felt like looking at myself challenging myself overseas. He didn't yield to those feelings, matched our pace well, and won the gold medal. I am so grateful to him, and I think I cried a lot because of the coach.]

The South Korean national basketball team, led by head coach Nikolajs Mazurs, secured the gold medal yesterday (September 20) by defeating Japan 67-57 in the Asian Games basketball final.

Lee Hyun-jung, who seemed to struggle against Japan's defensive pressure in the first half, led the victory by recording 27 points and 18 rebounds, including five 3-pointers in the second half alone.

A broadcast captured Lee walking over to the Japanese coaching staff right after the game to shake hands and greet them directly. This prompted praise among Japanese fans, with comments such as, "As a rival, Lee Hyun-jung is annoying, but he has truly wonderful character."

Having earned military service exemptions through this victory, Lee said, "It would be a lie to say I'm not happy about the military exemption," adding, "That means the national basketball team shouldn't just stop at winning the Asian Games gold medal, but push even further from here."

Heading straight to Portland, United States, to pursue his NBA dream, Lee expressed his determination to move beyond the Asian Games victory and strive for even greater goals.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News