"I thought he'd struggle to even get on the court → He became a key player for the team" A stunning turnaround that surprised China... The U.S. also reported his performance, noting "4 three-pointers and an explosive 21 points"

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Lee Hyun-joong (26, Lip City Remix), who is challenging the National Basketball Association (NBA) stage, expanded his presence by scoring a G League personal career-high of 21 points.

On the 14th (Korean time), Lee started in an away game against the Stockton Kings at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California, for the 2026-2027 season G League. In approximately 31 minutes of play, he recorded 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Lip City is the affiliate team of the Portland Trail Blazers, while Stockton is the affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. Although Lip City suffered a narrow 129-133 loss that day, Lee demonstrated his competitiveness with accurate shooting and aggressive involvement in the paint.

His long-range firepower was unleashed. Lee attempted seven three-pointers and made four, achieving a 57.1% success rate. He accounted for the most three-pointers among Lip City players that day. He also recorded a high overall field goal percentage of 70%, making 7 of his 10 attempts.

He contributed in the paint as well. He grabbed 7 rebounds, including 2 offensive rebounds. This was a team-high record, shared with Mark Sears.

In terms of scoring, he ranked third on the team behind Sears, who tallied 31 points and 11 assists, and Caleb Houston, who scored 23 points.

It is also notable that his offense has become more potent as the games progress. Lee scored just 3 points in his season opener against the Salt Lake City Stars, making only 1 of his 5 field goal attempts. In his second game against the same team, he scored 12 points with four three-pointers. On this day, he again sank four three-pointers and added scoring from the paint. His scoring in the first three games of the season increased to 3, 12, and 21 points, respectively.

China has also taken notice of this change. Chinese portal Sina.com compared Lee's performance with the situation of Yang Han-sen, a member of the Chinese national team, who is struggling to secure playing time in Portland. The media assessed that Lee is growing into a core player for Lip City.

The outlet pointed out, "Lee Hyun-joong is becoming a key figure for Lip City, while Yang Han-sen is just running back and forth with Scoot Henderson during garbage time."

It continued, "Previously, South Korean national team member Lee Hyun-joong signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland but was later released and joined Remix. At the time, a considerable number of fans thought Lee might not get playing opportunities. However, contrary to expectations, the situation has now completely reversed."

It emphasized, "Lee is showing increasingly good form in Remix."

Local U.S. media also reported on Lee's performance. U.S. sports outlet Roundtable Sports introduced the game by stating, "In the game against Stockton, Sears led Lip City's offense with 31 points, followed by Houston with 23 and Lee Hyun-joong with 21."

For Lee, this G League challenge is closely tied to his long-held dream of the NBA. After completing his junior year at Davidson College in the U.S. in 2022, he attempted to enter the NBA but went undrafted in the rookie draft. He continued his challenges thereafter. He played for the G League's Santa Cruz Warriors and gained experience in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) and Japan's B League. After going through various stages, he returned to the U.S. this season.

His Exhibit 10 contract with Portland did not immediately lead to NBA regular-season appearances. However, he has consistently earned opportunities with his affiliate team, Remix, showcasing his strengths. The game against Stockton, where he combined accurate perimeter shooting with rebounding and defensive contributions, became a welcome stepping stone for Lee as he continues his challenge toward the NBA.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original