Lee Hyun-jung: 'I'll celebrate until tomorrow — then it's time to conquer the World Cup'

South Korea reclaims Asian basketball throne after 12 years

Lee Hyun-jung averages 24 points, 9.7 rebounds at tournament

Last-minute training cancellation on final day forged team unity

South Korean players celebrate after defeating Japan in the men's basketball final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. [Yonhap]

South Korea's men's basketball team has reclaimed the top spot in Asia for the first time in 12 years.

South Korea, coached by Latvian head coach Nikolajs Mazurs, defeated host nation Japan 67-57 in the men's basketball final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya on Sunday.

The victory marks South Korea's fifth Asian Games gold medal in men's basketball and its first since the 2014 Incheon Games. It is also the team's first gold at an overseas Asian Games in 44 years, since the 1982 New Delhi Games.

At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, South Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals and finished seventh — its worst-ever result at the tournament. With the team's standing in Asia shaken, the national program effectively underwent a full rebuild, with Lee Hyun-jung at its center.

South Korean players, including Lee Hyun-jung, celebrate after winning the men's basketball final against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. [Yonhap]

Lee Hyun-jung, born in 2000, averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game at the tournament, ranking second overall in all three categories. In the final against Japan, he scored a game-high 27 points and pulled down 18 rebounds, cementing his status as the new cornerstone of South Korean basketball.

"I'll let myself celebrate until tomorrow — Monday," Lee said. "I still haven't accomplished much. I want to play at the World Cup and the Olympics, and I want to make it to the NBA. There's so much I still want to do."

Lee signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers just before the tournament. He heads to the United States on Saturday to re-enter the fierce battle for a roster spot.

South Korean players toss head coach Nikolajs Mazurs into the air in celebration after winning the men's basketball final against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. [Yonhap]

The gold medal also stands out because South Korea achieved it without any naturalized players. As other major Asian rivals have increasingly relied on naturalized athletes, South Korea has repeatedly felt the gap in individual talent on the international stage.

South Korea compensated with teamwork rather than individual brilliance. Lee anchored the offense, while Lee Jung-hyun — last season's KBL Most Valuable Player — contributed from the perimeter. Captain Lee Seung-hyun and veteran Jang Jae-seok held down the paint, and Choi Jun-yong added depth after joining the squad from the tournament stage onward. Lee Woo-seok, Moon Jung-hyun, Yoo Ki-sang and Byun Jun-hyung all contributed on both ends of the floor. Younger players including Yeo Jun-seok, Moon Yu-hyun and 2007-born Eddie Daniel also gained valuable experience. The rebuilt squad, centered on Lee Hyun-jung in the wake of the Hangzhou debacle, achieved both a generational transition and a winning result at the same time.

Lee Hyun-jung greets fans after the medal ceremony for the men's basketball event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. [Yonhap]

For Mazurs, the tournament was also a personal vindication. Appointed late last year as the first foreign head coach in the history of South Korea's men's national team, he had come under scrutiny over his leadership after going just 2-6 in pre-tournament friendlies. But he stayed committed to what he calls "system basketball" — a style built on set patterns and synchronized movement from every player — and his persistence paid off when it mattered most.

An unexpected complication arose on the final day. On the morning of the gold-medal game against Japan, the vehicles scheduled to take the team to the practice facility simply did not show up, with no explanation given. South Korea was forced to cancel its entire morning training session ahead of the final.

The frustration and anger that followed only sharpened the team's resolve. "When the morning practice fell through, everyone's nerves were on edge," said captain Lee Seung-hyun. "We went into the game with a killer instinct — a 'lose and die' mentality. Looking back, it actually had a positive effect."

South Korea now sets its sights on the Asian qualifying rounds for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar and, beyond that, the Olympics. Reclaiming the Asian throne is one thing, but challenges remain on the global stage. After a 12-year wait to return to the top of Asia, this gold medal is, in Mazurs' own words, "a new beginning" for South Korean men's basketball.

yjc@heraldcorp.com