[Anchor]

We would like to express our gratitude to all of our national athletes who are displaying such passion and fighting spirit at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Today's invitation features Lee Seung-hyun and Lee Jeong-hyeon from the South Korean men's national basketball team, who clinched the gold medal by defeating the host nation, Japan, for the first time in 12 years.

Q. Winning the men's basketball Asian Games gold medal for the first time in 12 years... How do you feel?

[Lee Jeong-hyeon / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : First of all, the basketball national team played our matches before the official opening of the Asian Games. I think it set a very good starting point by allowing us to win the gold medal. Also, there is a saying about a 12-year cycle in men's basketball, meaning we win the gold medal every 12 years, and I am deeply honored to be able to continue that tradition.]

[Lee Seung-hyun / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : For me, this was my third Asian Games. Given my age, I played thinking it might be my last, so I am extremely grateful to have achieved such a precious result. I also want to express my sincere thanks to the many fans who came all the way to Japan to support us.]

Q. You reached the milestone of '100 international appearances' during the Asian Games. How was that?

[Lee Seung-hyun / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : I wasn't really thinking about the 100-game mark, but after the preliminary rounds concluded, as we were preparing for the quarterfinals, I was told it would be my 100th game. (It was the match against Jordan.) I was told it would be my 100th game during the quarterfinals, so I received a lot of congratulations from my teammates and coaching staff. I remember telling the guys back then, 'Let's put this aside for a moment and receive that gift after winning the gold medal.']

Q. The professional basketball season is about to begin. Do you feel that public interest has grown?

[Lee Jeong-hyeon / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : I definitely felt it. When we returned, we received a lot of congratulations and a warm welcome at the airport. Even after returning to our respective teams, whether during training or daily life, many people recognize us and offer warm congratulations, which I am truly grateful for.]

Q. There were concerns heading into the tournament. Did you think a '6-game winning streak' was possible?

[Lee Seung-hyun / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : Honestly, looking at the reactions around us and the fact that we kept losing leading up to that point, when we heard those kinds of skeptical and concerned views, the atmosphere among us players did drop quite a bit. But to be frank, unlike other sports where a full coaching staff was dispatched, our head coach came alone and stayed right by our side, sweating through training with us. It must have been very tough for the coach as well, but we shared a mindset among the players to just trust the coach until the end. I think that attitude really shone through during the Asian Games.]

Q. You led the victory with 14 points and 7 assists. What was the secret to breaking through the pressing defense?

[Lee Jeong-hyeon / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : Rather than a secret, it wasn't something I achieved entirely on my own. Seung-hyun and other teammates helped me a lot, which I think helped fill in my shortcomings.]

Q. You played a crucial role in defending the paint with physical contact. Were you burdened by that?

[Lee Seung-hyun / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : It was definitely a burden. I am probably the shortest among the big men at the Asian Games. So I thought a lot about that burden before stepping onto the court—how I should handle opponents taller than me. Knowing I have physical size limitations when a player drives into the paint, my primary thought was to push them out as much as possible. That mindset helped a lot during the games. Rather than focusing on grabbing rebounds myself, my goal was simply to box out my opponent so they couldn't get the rebound, trusting that my teammates like Hyun-joong, Joon-seok, Jeong-hyeon, and others would step up. Because all my teammates understood that and actively participated in rebounding, we were able to gain the upper hand.]

Q. It was an Asian Games filled with fighting spirit. How are you preparing for the professional basketball season?

[Lee Jeong-hyeon / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : Since all the players worked extremely hard together to win the gold medal, I believe what matters more now is how much better we play and how much we can make spectators want to come and watch us again in the KBL. By working harder and delivering exciting games, I think basketball will gain even greater popularity.]

Q. Your team is considered a championship favorite, but you will face a junior teammate as an opponent. Thoughts?

[Lee Jeong-hyeon / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : No matter how close we are—when I first entered the league, I joined a team called Orion, and he was there too, so we were on the same team—once we meet as opponents, there are no favors. We just have to clash fiercely.]

[Lee Seung-hyun / National Basketball Player and Asian Games Gold Medalist : We will face each other six times during the regular season, so I will prepare diligently to win as many of those matches as possible.]

(Photo: Yonhap News)
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