"I'd rather have my son Kim than a gold medal." Lee Hyun-jung challenges the U.S.: "Don't get hurt"... 'Women's Basketball Legend' Sung Jung-ah remains a mother to the end [Incheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"They can't be compared. I'm so happy that Hyun-jung won a gold medal."

Even as an official of the Korean Basketball Association, 'legend' Sung Jung-ah, who represented women's basketball in Korea, ultimately became just one mother before her son Lee Hyun-jung (Portland).

Lee Hyun-jung departed for the United States through Incheon International Airport on the 26th. He is joining the Portland training camp of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to embark on a new challenge toward official roster entry.

Director Sung Jung-ah was also present at his departure scene.

Director Sung is a legendary player who represented women's basketball in Korea. She was a key figure in winning the silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics and contributed to securing the gold medal at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

She also built a brilliant career on the industrial league stage. Playing for Dongbang Life, the predecessor of Samsung Life, she experienced five championships in the National Basketball Championship and was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament in 1989.

Last year, she also served as a selection committee member for the '2025 Futures Star Awards' basketball category, established by StarNews to promote the development of Korean sports and revitalize amateur athletics.

However, when the topic of her son's gold medal arose, 'Mother Sung Jung-ah' appeared before 'Player Sung Jung-ah'.

When asked to compare her own Asian Games gold medal with her son Lee Hyun-jung's, Director Sung smiled and said, "They can't be compared."

She then added, "I'm so happy that Hyun-jung won a gold medal," unable to hide her joy.

Lee Hyun-jung led the Korean men's basketball team to reclaim the top spot for the first time in 12 years at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Korea defeated host nation Japan 67-57 in the final held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on the 20th.

In particular, Lee Hyun-jung stood at the center of the gold medal victory, recording 27 points and 18 rebounds, including five three-pointers in the final.

Director Sung watched closely from the sidelines every drop of sweat her son shed to reach his current position.

She said, "He didn't get here overnight. I still think there's a long way to go, but he has put in a lot of effort."

The joy of the gold medal is fleeting.

Lee Hyun-jung is heading back to the United States. Having signed a contract with Portland and Exhibit 10, Lee Hyun-jung will compete in the training camp and challenge for official NBA roster entry.

The heart of parents watching their son face a new challenge can only be special.

When asked what his parents said before his departure, Lee Hyun-jung replied, "They told me to play without pressure, without pressure. They just said, 'Don't get hurt.'"

He then added, "I think they spoke from the perspective of a mother and father rather than as player seniors."

Even Sung Jung-ah, a legendary women's basketball player, was just one mother at that moment, not a basketball figure.

As a legend, she could have offered technical advice. However, what Director Sung wanted most from her son was not NBA roster entry or good results. It was for him to continue his challenge in good health.

His father is also a basketball figure. Lee Yun-hwan, Director Sung's husband and Lee Hyun-jung's father, who serves as the head coach of Samil High School, currently holds the position of Vice President of the Korean Middle and High School Basketball Federation.

Lee Hyun-jung also nurtured his dream of becoming a basketball player under the influence of his parents. After attending Samil Middle School and Samil High School, he enrolled in Davidson College of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), starting his challenge toward a larger stage early on.

Lee Hyun-jung also understood his parents' feelings well.

Earlier, Lee Hyun-jung expressed gratitude, saying, "I think it's a real blessing that my mother is my mother. She taught me not to lose humility and helped me become an even better player."

On this day as well, Lee Hyun-jung said, "My goal is to stay in the United States for a long time. I have many other goals too," adding, "First, I want to show my true self as much as possible in the training camp. Rather than thinking long-term, I want to do my best every day and every moment."

In fact, there were quite a few love calls directed at Lee Hyun-jung. According to his agency Epic Sports, Lee Hyun-jung received interest from various domestic and foreign teams, including the Boston Celtics during this off-season and Nagasaki Velca (Japan). In particular, it is reported that his former team, Nagasaki, wanted him to stay by offering a huge sum of money.

However, Lee Hyun-jung's choice was the United States. He has chosen another challenge.

Lee Hyun-jung emphasized, "It was the easiest choice in my life. I wanted to play basketball in the United States, so I have nurtured the dream of challenging overseas," adding, "I am truly grateful for the interest shown by Japanese teams, but my ultimate goal is to become an NBA player."

He further added, "Because I didn't pay attention to external factors and focused only on my own thoughts, the decision was made easily."

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*This content was translated by AI.