"Instead of personal training in the U.S., the Taegeuk mark" — Lee Hyun-jung's unprecedented sense of duty... chose the national team even as he prepares to challenge the NBA

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Hyun-jung (26), the ace of Korean basketball, prioritized the Taegeuk mark even as he stood on the verge of his dream challenge.

This summer, Lee Hyun-jung embarks on his third attempt to join the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is scheduled to participate in the Summer League wearing the uniform of the prestigious San Antonio Spurs. While this is a very important milestone in his personal career, Lee Hyun-jung joined the national team ahead of this.

Lee Hyun-jung's agency, Epic Sports, stated in a conversation with StarNews on the 9th, "The schedule for joining San Antonio has not yet been finalized. It is not yet determined when he will head to the U.S." However, they added, "We are continuing to coordinate schedules with the Korean national team and the San Antonio side. Discussions are ongoing regarding the timing of his joining San Antonio."

Lee Hyun-jung entered the Jincheon National Training Center on the 8th and began intensive training in preparation for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers. The Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team, led by coach Nikolaj Mazulis of Latvia, will compete in the first round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers, specifically the 5th and 6th matches. The games will be held on July 3 and 6 at Goyang Sono Arena. Korea will face Taiwan in the 5th match and Japan in the 6th match.

Korea currently sits in second place in Group B with two wins and two losses, behind Japan (three wins, one loss), which leads the group. Korea secured consecutive victories against China in the first two matches but lost both the third match against Taiwan and the fourth match against Japan under coach Mazulis. To turn the tide, it is essential to win these 5th and 6th matches. The burden on Lee Hyun-jung, the ace of the national team, is inevitably heavy.

In this first round of the Asian qualifiers, the top three teams from each group will advance to the second round. Korea must reach the second round to keep alive its chances of qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup finals, which will be held next year in Qatar. Excluding the host nation Qatar, a total of seven tickets to the finals are allocated to the Asia-Oceania region.

The timing of the Moon Je-neun (CEO) team's matches and next month's NBA Summer League schedule are very close. For Lee Hyun-jung, there was an option to skip joining the national team and instead travel to the U.S. to focus on preparing for the Summer League. However, he decided to prioritize the Taegeuk mark.

Epic Sports explained, "Given how strongly Lee Hyun-jung feels about his responsibility to the Taegeuk mark, we decided to have him join the national team. Another option would have been to go to the U.S. for personal training. However, Lee Hyun-jung truly understands the weight and responsibility of the Taegeuk mark. He is a player with a strong sense of duty."

Lee Hyun-jung had an outstanding time. As the ace of Nagasaki Velca in Japan's B.League during the 2025-2026 season, he led the club to its first-ever unified championship. In 57 regular-season games, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. He ranked first overall in the league in both three-point shooting percentage (47.9%) and three-pointers made (187).

He was also strong in the playoffs. In the quarterfinals' second match, Lee Hyun-jung recorded a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds. In the decisive third match of the finals, where the championship was on the line, he contributed 23 points and 5 rebounds, including three three-pointers, leading his team to victory. He secured the B.League Best Five, the Asia quota Choi U-su-seon (수상), and the Championship MVP, completely making the Japanese league his own stage.

However, even immediately after winning the B.League championship, Lee Hyun-jung continued training to prepare for the NBA Summer League. Epic Sports explained, "Even after the B.League season ended, Lee Hyun-jung wanted to keep training. He stayed in Japan due to various schedules, including Nagasaki club events and the B.League awards ceremony, but he continued training not only in Japan but also elsewhere."

Earlier, Lee Hyun-jung's mother and a legend of Korean women's basketball, Sung Jeong-a, a director of the Korea Basketball Association, praised him through StarNews: "Even after winning in Japan, (Lee) Hyun-jung went to training. He said that if he doesn't train, his body feels too heavy and tired. When he returns from exercise, he says, 'I feel like I'm finally going to gain some weight,' which is his son."

According to Epic Sports, several NBA teams showed interest in Lee Hyun-jung, and among them, San Antonio was ultimately chosen as his destination. This is his third attempt at the NBA Summer League. Previously, Lee Hyun-jung participated in the Summer League twice but did not receive sufficient playing time. However, the atmosphere this time is different. It is reported that San Antonio has shown considerable interest in Lee Hyun-jung. Epic Sports stated, "San Antonio showed even stronger interest."

Lee Hyun-jung also expressed his anticipation by attending the NBA Viewing Party held on the 6th in Yongsan, Seoul. In an interview with reporters, he said, "I heard that the San Antonio general manager contacted me first. I am grateful that it is a prestigious team. This time, I felt much more like they said, 'We want to test you,' rather than just 'We'll just put you in.'"

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*This content was translated by AI.