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The Korean men's national basketball team had two friendly matches with Japan in Tokyo on May 5 and 7. The team won 85-84 in the first match on May 5, but failed to overcome its inferiority complex in the second match on May 7, and lost 80-88 in the second match. However, the young national team, which was formed mainly by those born in 1999, proved its potential to advance through the two friendly matches. At the center of the event is guard Lee Jung-hyun (25) of Goyang Sono.

In the first game, Lee Jung-hyun scored 27 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one stroke, taking the lead in Korea's victory. He made 11 attempts to hit six of the three-point shots, and the success rate of the field goal was 45 percent. He continued his ace-like performance in the second game. He led the offense with 26 points, two rebounds, and five assists, while also enhancing his contribution in defense with three steals. He made 13 attempts and made six 3-point shots. The success rate of the field goal was 42 percent, slightly lower than in the first game. It was due to Japan's intensive defense. However, the success rate of the three-point shots was 46.2 percent, similar to that in the first game (54.5 percent), and his performance has been outstanding since the middle of the fourth quarter when Korea pressured Japan.

Having played for three seasons in the KBL and grown into a leading guard in the league, Lee has also been steadily improving in the international arena. During the 2023-2024 season, his third year as a pro player, he served as Sono's main ball handler and averaged 22.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.0 pars. He made 2.9 3-pointers per game (37.2 percent of accuracy rate). He ranked first in assists and interceptions in the entire league, and fifth in overall scores including foreign players.

His growth continued in the national team. Although his sense of play and physical condition were not perfect, he showed off his outstanding attack and skills by scoring more than 20 points in two consecutive warm-up matches against Japan. Lee Jung-hyun played an absolute role in Korea's defense. Thanks to that, Korea was able to perform well with one win and one loss at the match between Korea and Japan, which was expected to be inferior.

Lee Jung-hyun has been on a steady growth curve since his debut as a pro. Beyond Sono's ace, he has jumped into a guard representing the KBL, and has now established himself as a key member of the national team. We wonder if he will be upgraded again in the upcoming 2024-2025 season.