Mazuls, who led the team to an Asian Games gold medal for the first time in 12 years, boasts of Korean basketball to his home country: "The fan culture is truly world-class. The Korean basketball I experienced was..."

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Nikolajs Mazuls (46, Latvia), the first foreign head coach in the history of the South Korean men's national basketball team, who secured an Asian Games gold medal after 12 years, expressed deep affection for Korean basketball and its passionate fan culture through media in his home country.

Coach Mazuls recently gave an exclusive interview with the leading Latvian sports outlet "Sportacentrs," detailing his reflections on taking the helm of the Lee Ya-gi-wa (CEO) team behind their victory at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The Mazuls-led squad defeated host Japan 67-57 in the men's basketball final held last September, reclaiming the top spot in Asia for the first time since the 2014 Incheon Games.

Returning to his home country on vacation for the first time after a triumphant return, Coach Mazuls was immediately impressed by the unique fan culture of South Korea. "The welcoming crowd when we returned to Korea after the tournament was truly surreal. The level of fan culture in Korea is unbelievably high," he said. "All broadcasters were present at the airport, and more than 200 fans gathered just in the arrival hall." He also praised the passionate atmosphere, noting, "Every time the national team travels for a game, fans come to the airport to give gifts to the players. This kind of passionate culture is a remarkable scene that is rarely seen in Europe."

He also offered a cool yet warm assessment of the "characteristics of Korean basketball" as he experienced them as a coach. "Korean players are clearly different from the European players I have encountered," Coach Mazuls said. "Their vision to read the flow of the game and their ability to handle physical contact in the paint may be somewhat lacking." However, he added, "But their perimeter shooting ability is truly exceptional and outstanding. Based on constant shooting practice, they play spacing basketball that utilizes the full width of the court. While they may have weaknesses in post battles, their competitiveness from the perimeter can hold its own against top teams in the world."

This Asian Games was also a difficult challenge for Coach Mazuls. Throughout the tournament, he faced flooding caused by typhoons, living in poor-quality temporary container accommodations, and unprecedented administrative confusion where the training bus did not arrive on the day of the final. The media also noted that "Korea was one of the teams with the shortest average center height among participating nations."

However, Coach Mazuls implemented a bold tactical move by actively deploying perimeter player Lee Hyun-joong (26) in the paint. Lee completed history by displaying heroic effort, grabbing a whopping 18 rebounds in the final. This was a great achievement built on strong team cohesion using only domestic players, while most participating countries brought in naturalized players.

He also mentioned South Korea's unique military service issue. "Of the 12th-man roster that participated in the tournament, eight were about to begin their military service," Coach Mazuls said. "A silver medal meant nothing to the players; they poured everything into the court for sheer 'survival.'" He smiled and added, "For me as well, winning an Asian Games gold medal was an absolute condition from the moment I took the job. I am very happy that we united as one with the players to achieve our goal."

Coach Mazuls, who had turned down offers from European clubs when he first joined the Han Pyeon (CEO) team, stated, "Korean basketball is a place with a large market size and immense potential," adding his determination to continue leading the leap forward of Korean basketball in the future.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original