'Training Bus No-Show' Men's Basketball Wins First Asian Games Gold in 12 Years...Hyunjung Lee's Double-Double

Decisive 67-57 Victory Over Japan at Aichi-Nagoya Final

Fifth Overall Gold Medal Since 2014 Incheon Games

Hyunjung Lee Shines with 27 Points, 18 Rebounds and MVP-Level Performance

The South Korean men's basketball team has secured the Asian Games gold medal for the first time in 12 years.

Led by head coach Nikolajs Mazurs, South Korea defeated host nation Japan 67-57 in the men's basketball final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan on the 20th. This marks South Korea's first championship title since the Incheon Games in 2014, and its fifth overall Asian Games gold medal (1970, 1982, 2002, 2014, and 2026).

The South Korean men's basketball team is celebrating after winning the final against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan on the 20th. Nagoya=Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap

The road to victory was not an easy one for South Korea. On the morning of the game day, an unexpected incident occurred when the team could not train as planned because the transportation arranged to take them to the practice facility failed to arrive. South Korea had planned to warm up with shooting practice at a separate gym in the morning before the final, but the vehicle scheduled to arrive around 10 a.m. never showed up with no clear explanation. Consequently, the team had no choice but to cancel their planned training.

South Korea struggled against Japan's strong defensive pressure and poor shooting early on. The score was tied at 28-28 through the second quarter, with both teams locked in a fierce contest. In the second half, South Korea opened up their offense from the perimeter, with Junhyeong Byun and Hyunjung Lee sparking a scoring run with multiple three-pointers.

Japan answered with two outside shots of their own, but Hyunjung Lee again wasted no time, sinking consecutive three-point baskets upon receiving the ball, building a 44-39 lead for South Korea. Next, Jeonghyeon Lee capitalized on Jaeseok Jang's screen to hit a three-pointer, and Wooseok Lee also joined in with perimeter support, allowing South Korea to finish the third quarter ahead 55-47, an eight-point advantage.

Hyunjoong Lee is making a three-point shot in the men's basketball final against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya on the 20th. Nagoya=Yonhap News Photo

Hyunjung Lee continued his impressive performance in the fourth quarter. He widened the gap to 60-49, an 11-point lead, with a calm three-point shot followed by a score inside the paint. When Wooseok Lee's pull-up jumper bounced off the rim, Lee swiftly tipped the ball in for another basket. With 3 minutes and 34 seconds remaining, South Korea maintained their 11-point lead at 64-53.

Hyunjung Lee delivered a standout performance throughout the tournament, leading the team's offense and playing the role of ace. In this final, he again scored 27 points and collected 18 rebounds, achieving a "double-double" and driving the team to victory. Following in the footsteps of his mother, Jeong-Ah Sung, a board member of the Korea Basketball Association and a key gold medalist at the 1990 Beijing Games, Hyunjung Lee became a "mother-and-son gold medalist." Jeonghyeon Lee also contributed 14 points and 7 assists.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.