Shock ace leader Lee Hyun-joong and national team leader Song Du-ri have all changed. Hot tears are not the end. His eyes are on Nagoya next year
Aug 15, 2025
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South Korea lost to China 71-79 in the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the 14th (Korea time).
Lee Hyun-joong scored 22 points. I struggled.
In Korea, Lee Hyun-joong and Yoo Ki-sang were heavily marked by Lee Jung-hyun's injury. In particular, China focused on Lee Hyun-joong with thorough switch defense and pressure.
However, China's wall was thick.
After the game, Lee Hyun-joong shed hot tears.
He said in a local interview, `I hate losing the most. I was very angry and sad. (I)Jeong-hyun left, but thank you to the team members for fighting until the end. The height of the Chinese big men was high, but (Ha) Yoon-ki, (Kim) Jong-kyu and (Lee) Seung-hyun fought so well, and (female) Jun-seok also did his best under the basket even though he was not 100% in physical condition. I had a lot of opportunities to turn the game around, but in the end, I'm very sorry that I didn't do a lot when it was important."
Lee Hyun-joong's leadership was shocking.
Before the start of the competition, he had already "I will do my best for the national team as a voice leader" Words have literally become actions.
Lee Hyun-joong showed several hustle plays not only in offense but also in defense. He encouraged his teammates, and his actions had a huge impact on the national team.
All the players became one, and it was the basis of strong physical struggle, activity, and sticky performance.
The players were united around Lee Hyun-joong. As a result, they defeated Qatar and Lebanon in Group A of Death to advance to the quarterfinals as second place in the group.
Although he failed to advance to the semifinals, he cannot criticize the national team. With Lee Jung-hyun's injury and unfavorable conditions without naturalized players, the players did their best. At the center was Lee Hyun-joong.
In the meantime, it has completely changed the constitution of the national team and laid the groundwork for a successful generational change.
He said "I'm glad I showed you what the original team is. I hope (players) feel a lot from their respective teams. I think there is only something left to go up. We will work together with 12 players so that they can get the results they want without getting frustrated at the next international competition."
Lee Hyun-joong was a perfect leader on and off the court. On the court, he played the main scorer and key defender at the same time, and showed his focus on winning the team. In interviews after the game, he always encouraged players who silently focused on defense, rebounding, and hustle from behind rather than their own performance.
And I made a commitment to the future. Lee Jung-hyun, Yeo Jun-seok, Yoo Ki-sang, Ha Yoon-ki, Yang Jun-seok, and Lee Woo-seok, the main players in the generational change of this tournament, talked about the national team's future competitiveness. "I hope you feel a lot from your team."The phrase " means that he will improve his skills at his new nest, Nagasaki Velka, so his teammates should upgrade their skills to the next level in his team."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
