Hyunjoong Lee, as the focal point of the national team, emphasizes process rather than team victory

Lee Hyeon-joong, the 'ace' of Korean basketball, is a strong focal point for the national team both on and off the court.

He led his teammates with fighting energy throughout the game, and as soon as he entered the press conference room, he looked at the score sheet.

He coolly drew a line at his poor scoring, saying, "It's just an excuse," and first highlighted the performance of his teammates who relieved him of the scoring burden on his poor days.

The Korean men's basketball team, led by Lee Hyun-joong, won an 81-55 victory against the Philippines in an exhibition match held at the KT Sonic Boom Arena in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on the 4th.

After the game, Lee Hyeon-joong met with reporters and said, "Of course I'm not satisfied with my personal record, but I feel good that the other players have found their rhythm." He added, "Seeing the players in action made me feel very relieved, and I was able to play while having fun."

He continued, "On days when someone doesn't make a shot, someone else has to step in to help solve the problem. Today, (Lee) Jeong-hyeon hyung found the rhythm, and (Moon) Yoo-hyeon also showed energy. Everyone, including the bench members, played their part when the team was short on goals and needed energy, and showed high energy in the defensive area."

In the first men's basketball game of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held six days before the first group match against Saudi Arabia on the 10th, the Korean national team showed excellent performance.

Although the Philippines was missing their core strength, they took the lead from the beginning of the game and played the game leisurely without losing their composure until the end.

It was a pleasant victory that boosted confidence ahead of the Asian Games, but Lee Hyun-joong focused on the process rather than the result of a big win.

He pointed out calmly, "Today's opponent was not the Philippine first team, and it was a disappointing game because there were many points that needed improvement."

On this day, Lee Hyun-joong did the heavy lifting by pulling down 15 rebounds, but he only scored 6 points, making 10 3-point shots and only making one.

He is continuing his push to join the national team immediately after completing the summer league schedule in order to advance to the National Basketball Association (NBA), but he did not use fatigue as the reason for his poor performance.

Lee Hyun-joong drew the line, saying, "It's all an excuse to be tired due to the schedule," and emphasized, "As the team takes good care of my body, I just need to continue to improve my condition ahead of the Asian Games."

He continued, "Even on days when I don't get a shot, I will keep shooting, and I will help the team in other areas to win somehow."