[Asian Games] Lee Hyun-joong "Will only be happy about the gold medal until tomorrow... straight to the United States"

Lee Hyun-joo leads South Korea's basketball to an AG gold medal in 12 years Shines brilliantly with 27 points and 18 rebounds in the finals "Going to the US on the 26th... No regrets about challenging the NBA" To understand the whole content, you must read the article along with the news. Reported by Songgo on September 20, 2026, 11:57 PM Lee Hyun-joo leads South Korea's basketball to an AG gold medal in 12 years Shines brilliantly with 27 points and 18 rebounds in the finals "Going to the US on the 26th... No regrets about challenging the NBA" Google Search shows the Yonhap News article as the priority. (Nagoya=Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Myung-eon = "I will be happy for the gold medal today and tomorrow. Now it is a new start in the United States." Ace Lee Hyun-joo, who is striving for the 'best ever' in Korean basketball, is not satisfied. Even after bringing the Asian Games gold medal to Korea for the first time in 12 years, he is already looking forward to winning the next competition, the Basketball World Cup, and even the Olympic stage, which is a 'small window'. The gold medal won at his first international multi-sport event is just a stepping stone for his leap and one of many milestones to come. At the 2026 Ichichi-Nagoya Asian Games final held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan on the 20th, where he defeated Japan 67-57, Lee Hyun-joo, who met in the joint press area, said, "Winning the Asian Games is an honor, but it is still far from my ultimate goal." When asked about his ultimate goal, he replied, "I have not achieved much yet. I want to experience the World Cup and Olympic stages, and I have many things I want to do, such as entering the NBA (NBA)." He added, "I want to win every game in the future with the national team and hear the words 'South Korea is good at basketball' from them." Lee Hyun-joo is the 'leading figure' who led South Korea to win the 5th trophy in total by conquering Asia in this tournament. He willingly threw himself into difficult situations and unleashed cool outside shots when scoring was needed. In the final, he played brilliantly, scoring the most points of both teams, 27 points, and recording 18 rebounds, achieving a double-double. However, the score Lee Hyun-joo assigned to his performance in this tournament was only 70-80 out of 100 points. He reflected, "There is no game where you are truly satisfied with yourself. Today, I lost rebounds and missed free throws, and I should have played the game more calmly." He looked back and said, "I want to give myself 70-80 points as a sign that I can improve further." While setting strict standards for himself, he showed firm trust towards his teammates and coaching staff. He expressed his gratitude, saying, "Although I am currently receiving a lot of attention, I would not exist without the 11 players and coaches on the bench. When I win all the championships, I cry, but I am overwhelmed when I think of the fans, teammates, and coaches." He showed particular regard for Coach Nikolai Mazulis, who led the team to the top despite criticism from inside and outside. Lee Hyun-joo said, "When I look at the coach, I see myself when I challenged overseas. He took charge alone without his staff in a foreign country and persevered amidst much noise, and I learned a lot from how he managed all the external noise." He added, "I also had a strong desire to play more for the coach." Leaving behind the glory of the Asian Games gold medal, Lee Hyun-joo immediately set out on a new challenge. Having steadily knocked on the door of the US stage, he hoped for entry into the NBA by signing an 'Exhibit 10' contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, which was a one-year contract without guarantee, in early this month just before this tournament. He will head to the US on the 26th and enter a fierce survival competition. While he was able to have a stable life by playing in the B League of Nagasaki Velka in Japan during the 2025-2026 season, there was no regret or hesitation in choosing to take the challenge. "It was a process of going towards my dream, so I chose without regret. If I didn't take this path, I think I would regret it for my whole life." Lee Hyun-joo's gaze was already towards a higher place.