Lee Jung-hyun, emerging as the ace in Korean basketball, “Japan’s expedition, as an opportunity for development.”

Lee Jung-hyun flew with 27 points in the first round and 26 points in the second round in a friendly match against the Japanese national team in Tokyo on the 5th and 7th.

In the first game, he hit six 3-pointers and hit a middle shot to tie the game 14 seconds before the end of the game, contributing to the 85-84 victory. 메이저사이트

In the meantime, it has been called “Jak Jung-hyun” (meaning “small Lee Jung-hyun”) to distinguish it from Lee Jung-hyun, a senior of Seoul Samsung’s same name, but now he has become a player who is not lacking at all even if he proudly calls it “Ace.”

Ahn Joon-ho, the national men’s basketball coach, also praised Lee Jung-hyun in an interview returning to Incheon International Airport on the 8th, saying, “Lee Jung-hyun is an ace in Asia beyond Korea.”

In an interview at the airport on the 8th, Lee Jung-hyun said, “It was a short period, but it was a good result to prepare well and finish with 1 win and 1 loss,” adding, “I think I did it with more confidence because I felt like it was worth playing against Japan while playing the game.”

Japan is 26th in the FIBA world ranking, higher than South Korea, which is 50th, and will participate in the Paris Olympics, which will open at the end of this month, so Japan is expected to win the first and second games significantly.

After the KBL season, Korea formed a national team centered on young players during the break and worked together for only four days.

In Japan, active NBA players Rui Hachimura (LA Lakers) and Utah Watanabe (Mempsis) missed both games, but most of the main players, including naturalized players Josh Hawkinson, Yuki Kawamura and Makoto Hiejima, played.

Lee Jung-hyun said, “The coach emphasized teamwork because the players were in such a bad physical condition, and the players were united around the captain, Jun-hyung,” adding, “The team atmosphere was so bright and the practice attitude was really good when we trained with players of similar age.”

Only Byun Joon-hyung (Sangju Sangmu) was born in 1996, and the remaining 11 were all born in 1999-2001.

Lee Jung-hyun said, “It was an opportunity to develop through the experience of international competitions, and I was able to learn about the direction to go forward,” and vowed, “Now I will focus on my team’s game again and make my body better.”

In fact, Lee Jung-hyun was considered the MVP candidate last season with an average of 22.8 points (first in Korea), 6.6 assists (first) and 3.4 rebounds in the KBL regular league, but failed to win the MVP award due to poor team performance.

He expressed regret that he could not directly face NBA players Hachimura and Watanabe in this away trip to Japan.

Lee Jung-hyun said, “I also wanted to play with NBA players, and it could have been a big experience,” adding, “I was disappointed that neither player played, but I did my best in the given situation.”

The expedition to Japan has become our sparring partner for Japan participating in the Paris Olympics.

Japan has advanced to the Olympic finals in Tokyo in 2021 and Paris this year for two consecutive times, while Korea has not been able to advance to the Olympic finals since the 1996 Atlanta Games.

“The cheering culture and atmosphere of the Japanese stadium were different from those of Korea, but it was a new experience to play in front of such a large audience,” Lee Jung-hyun said. “I want to create a dream moment so that we can participate in the next 2028 Olympics.”