The South Korean men’s basketball team, led by head coach Ahn Joon-ho, beat Japan 85-84 in the first warm-up match at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on the 5th (Korea Standard Time).
Lee Jung-hyun was at the center of the list. In his third year since debut, Lee became the representative basketball player in Korea last season. He averaged 22.8 points and posted a success rate of 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 3-point shots at 37 percent.
He was the perfect ace of Sono Goyang. He was overwhelming Korean players in attack power. He ranked fifth in score and No. 1 in assist, which would have been Lee Jung-hyun`s MVP if he had supported his team performance (8th).
The next step was verification on the international stage. Lee Jung-hyun, who participated in the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and the FIBA Asia Cup with Australia early this year, said, “I am half worried and half excited ahead of the upcoming friendly match with Japan.
“It’s so much fun. The atmosphere of the team is so good. Everyone is so determined to do it. I feel sorry that I can only train for four days. Not everyone is in the best shape. Still, we keep talking, playing basketball, and at the end of each play, we get together to talk and play together.”
“I feel that I lack physical condition, sense of play, and time to coordinate with my teammates. I had a lot of worries before our call-up. Isn’t Japan that will be playing against us going to the Olympics? I am excited and look forward to playing against such a team. It is regrettable that we are not in the best physical condition and not in good condition. Still, it is an opportunity to play against an opponent who is superior to us. I plan to push my attack options harder and confront them. I wonder what it would be like if Korea and Japan clash with each other.”
“Honestly, I admit that Japan is better than us in terms of power. But we have to play to know. I’m looking forward to the result of the game.” 동행복권파워볼
In the first match against Japan, Lee Jung-hyun flew wildly. In the second and third quarters, when the score gap was wide, Korea performed a one-man show.
Confident three-point shooting and scoring goals by cooking big man with speed and individual skill were identical to plays that were displayed in the KBL. Japan, which boasts defense and teamwork, was helpless against Lee. Lee led the team by scoring 27 points including six three-point shots.
Two NBA leaguers, Rui Hachimura and Utah Watanabe, are missing, but Japan is a team that stands out not only in Asia but also in the Olympics and World Cup. The days when Korea easily won one game against Japan in the past have passed. Japan’s power has risen significantly over the past decade with the full support of the association.
Unlike Korea, which has not participated in the Olympics since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Korea will also participate in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. The two warm-up matches against Korea are the final rehearsals before going to the Paris Olympics. The team plans to boost morale at home to Tokyo.
Lee Jung-hyun has completely messed up Japan’s plan. Japanese home fans filled the stadium silent on Lee’s scoring parade. At one point, when Korea was leading by up to 20 points, Japanese players looked cold. Japanese coach Tom Horvath was also seen expressing frustration.
Korean basketball fans cheered for Lee. The most welcome factor is Lee’s age. Lee, who was born in 1999 and is 25 years old, has just begun his heyday.