Lee Jeong-hyeon (25, Sono), who performed brilliantly in two matches against Japan in men’s basketball, has established himself as the ace of Korean basketball.
Lee Jung-hyun was on fire in the friendly matches against the Japanese national team held in Tokyo, Japan on the 5th and 7th, scoring 27 points in the first match and 26 points in the second match.
In Game 1, he hit six 3-pointers and played a key role in the 85-84 victory, including a mid-range shot with 14 seconds left to tie the game.
In the past, he was called ‘Jak Jeong-hyeon’ (meaning ‘little Lee Jeong-hyeon’) to distinguish him from his senior of the same name, Lee Jeong-hyeon of Seoul Samsung, but now he has become a player who can confidently be called ‘ace’.
Ahn Jun-ho, head coach of the men’s national basketball team, also praised Lee Jung-hyun during an interview upon his return to Korea at Incheon Airport on the 8th, saying, “Lee Jung-hyun is an ace not only in our country but also in Asia.”
In an interview at the airport on the 8th, Lee Jung-hyun said, “It was a short period of time, but we prepared well and finished with 1 win and 1 loss, so it was a good result,” and “I think I played with more confidence because I felt like I could do it against Japan while playing the 커뮤니티 game.”
Japan is ranked 26th in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) world rankings, higher than Korea’s 50th, and is expected to win both games by a large margin as they will be participating in the Paris Olympics opening at the end of this month.
After the KBL season ended, our country formed a national team consisting mainly of young players during the break and only had four days to get fit.
Japan’s current NBA players Rui Hachimura (LA Lakers) and Yuta Watanabe (Memphis) missed both games, but most of its starting players, including naturalized players Josh Hawkinson, Yuki Kawamura, and Makoto Hiejima, played.
