There is no deep echo Korean basketball film among mutant Lee Hyun. Unhappy, unprofessional behavior
May 25, 2025
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We met at the UA NEXT COMBINE held at the Active Pi Factory in Seoul on the 23rd.
His existence is a 'mutant' in Korean basketball. This is because he is a player who is tapping the overseas stage 'properly' and 'seriously' in Korean basketball that has not escaped from the 'frog in the well'.
With a good physical condition of 2m1 and a wingspan of 2m8, he is a small forward. He is the ace of Korean basketball, which is passing through tall height and good speed.
Shooting ability is the best in the league, and open-the-ball movement is also strong. The frame is thin, lack of power, and less flexibility, but it's filling the physical weakness with strong effort. The internal and external defense is becoming solid, and the activity is strong.
It is said that he already has the ability to become the best player in the league when he enters the KBL stage. He is also the head of the offense and defense team and has an excellent mind to play winning basketball.
During his time in Samil High School, he was invited to the NBA's Asia Pacific team camp and left for the NBA Global Academy in Australia. Eventually, he entered Davison College in the U.S. and played an average of 20.9 minutes in his freshman year, establishing his position in the team.
He expanded his position as the team's ace in the 2020-2021 season, a second-year student. He joined Davison College's first 180 club with a 50.3% field goal rate, 43.6% success rate of 3-point shooting, and 90.5% success rate of free throws.
After completing his third year, he has continued his NBA challenge to this day. He participated in NBA G League camp and was given a call-up opportunity, but suffered a long-term injury during a practice game when he injured a ligament in his foot. After all, he was not nominated in the NBA rookie draft, and played for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia. He contributed to the team's victory as a key six-man this season. He signed a short-term contract with Osaka in the Japanese B-League last season and immediately played the role of team ace as the main ball handler.
The season is over, and he has returned home. I'm going to try the NBA again this summer. The goal is to participate in the NBA Summer League and receive an invitation to the NBA team camp. Agent Lee Hyun-joong said "It's not confirmed yet, but there are one or two NBA teams interested in Lee Hyun-joong." He said, "I keep trying, and even if I get frustrated, I have a lot of options such as the G League and the European League."
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▶How are you doing in Korea.
-I started training three days after the end of the season. I only train every day. The rest are spending time with friends and family.
▶ Looking back on the last season, what have you improved and what are you disappointed about.
-It's a good thing to win. I don't think I achieved my personal goal. It's a bit disappointing. I think there has been a mental maturity and a development in professionalism.
▶What does it mean to mature professionalism.
-(Lee Hyun-joong played as a key six-man) It's a part of how you can prepare right away when you go into the game. Players can be unhappy (about playing time), and if they leave their minds, the team collapses. Personally, I think I organized it well, so I think I contributed to the victory.
▶The question of playing time seems to be linked to the big dilemma of players trying to advance overseas.
- We have no choice but to keep preparing. When you enter the game, you need to be ready to perform 100% of the performance. Otherwise, you don't deserve to complain (about running time). I think I also had venom in this process. I also need to study basketball a lot. The roll is set according to the team. Studying according to that team will help you blend into the team more. It helps you perform even when you enter the court.
▶ His role was clear in Australia, and he played an ace in Japan's B League. Don't you get confused
- Of course, it's confusing. When we challenge the big stage, there are so many outstanding players in the world. It was fun because I think the Japanese league showed me that I can also play the main ball handler. By the way, I'm not used to training in Korea either. When it comes to big dreams, I think it's the right way to do the role clearly. At the same time, we are preparing for 3&D roles and main ball handlers.
▶ Domestic basketball players also have ups and downs depending on the team's role.
- Basketball is also a sport that requires studying. It's getting more sophisticated as time goes by. The regret of Korean basketball is that I don't think I study much. We don't use a lot of specific film. In Australia, scouting paper and specific detailed tactics accordingly are essential. You can win the game by scouting. (Korean basketball) has good teamwork, but it is necessary to pay more attention to technical skills and sophisticated tactics. Another thing is that communication is really important. It's not that I'm an athlete. In the end, five people should communicate well. It seems that juniors tend to lower their voices. I hope it will be more active as well as communication between the players. If you have your own thoughts, you need to communicate more actively and accept your opinions. And I think Korean basketball will be better.
It seems that he will play such a role in the ▶ national team.
- I don't think that's the right answer. However, I want to spread learning and experiences in overseas life with good energy. I'm also confident of being a vocal leader on the court. Although the average age of the current national team has become younger, there are still variations in age. I think I can play the role of a linker well.
▶In domestic basketball, there is a phenomenon of 'unhappy' due to roll distribution. What do you think.
- I think it's an unprofessional part. If I do that, I will be able to play "Unhappy" in the Australian League. Winning with a team member is important, and even if you're unhappy with the situation, you have to overcome it. The players themselves are not all good as a team. It's important to do your best in your role.
▶There was a hard call controversy at the KBL Championship. There were also opinions that it was a great match and that the call should be softer than low scores to increase scoring.
- I'm not sure about the judgment. From a neutral point of view, flapping is not good for both players and fans. In the NBA, Gilzer Alexander is also being criticized by some. Hard calls (now KBL's) are daily calls in Australia. I don't think it's physical. I personally enjoyed watching the final.
▶ Lee Hyun-joong is the head of the offense and defense team. One of the problems of domestic basketball is that there are players who focus on offense and players who focus on defense.
- There are players who use a lot of energy in attack. It's true that you're running out of energy in defense. That's what I did in Korea. He took on the role of 3&D in the overseas league and made progress in defense. Both of you have to be good. (The problem with the national team is) In the case of Australia, the coaches edit and see through the opponent's power and the performance of the players. That's how players with good physicality and skills approach us, but we weren't too ready. I think the perception of scouting is too low. There was no film (when playing in the national team in the past).
▶In the case of Utah Watanabe, he returned to Chiba at the age of 30 after the NBA challenge. What is Lee Hyun-joong going to do in the future
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
