RSS Feed

Tech Support

Korea hosted the 2024 Softbank Cup warm-up match at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Saturday and Sunday. It won the first round and lost the second round unfortunately.

Korea's goal this time was to provide opportunities and development for young players. Korea, which wants a generational change, has recruited a large number of young players. The oldest player in the team is Byun Jun-hyung (185 centimeters, G), who was born in 1996. The second youngest player after Byun was born in 1999. He had to fight his weakness of lack of experience.

The preparation process was also not easy. Most of the players joined the team without physical challenges. Some players joined the team while on vacation. They had to prepare for the warm-up match when they had not completed their physical training.

However, this does not mean that Korea did not have long time to prepare. Due to poor conditions, Korea conducted training sessions in Sono, Goyang for four days with the help of Sono.

Japan, on the other hand, came out as the best member. Although NBA leaguers Rui Hachimura and Utah Watanabe did not play due to injuries, all the others came out. It was in preparation for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Despite being underpowered, the team did not even prepare properly. However, it garnered victory with great fighting spirit and determination in the first round. At one point, the team led by up to 22 points. The fighting spirit of the young tigers was enough to give joy to basketball fans.

Korean coach Ahn Jun-ho even commented, "They all played hard under the circumstances where physical strength was lacking. It was a victory made by mental strength. It is a more valuable victory than ever."

Lee Jung-hyun (187 cm, G) stood out the most in the warm-up match this time. Having grown to become the best guard in the KBL through the last season, Lee was as strong as ever in competition with Japanese guards. In the first round, he scored 27 points, including six three-point shots. He led his team's attack by targeting the opponent team's miss match at the end of the game. In the most important moment, he succeeded in mid-range jumper despite the opponent team's intensive check, tying the game.

Lee continued his performance in the second round. Notably, he changed the course of the game by performing "one-man show" at a time when the fourth round was over. Lee's performance narrowed the score gap to single digits, up from 12 points. Lee scored 26.5 points on average in the two matches.

In the first round, Ha Yoon-ki (204 cm, C) showed off her presence under the basket. Ha was not easily pushed by Josh Hawkins, who was bigger and stronger than himself. He also had the upper hand in fights with other big men. He had 15 points, the second highest number after Lee.

In the second round, Lee focused on the process, not the result. He evenly deployed players and provided them with opportunities. Players who took advantage of this opportunity were Lee Won-seok (204 cm, C) and Yoo Ki-sang (188 cm, G).

Unlike in the first round, Lee displayed tremendous concentration. He had no goal and committed three fouls in the first round. He scored seven points from the first quarter by himself. He led the opponent team's fouls and posted basket count and free throws. In the second quarter, he also made a three-point shot. Lee continued his performance in the third quarter. His team's offense was frustrating. Lee scored with speed and height. The gap did not widen due to Lee's performance. Eventually, he scored 18 points, showing strong performance.

Yoo Ki-sang successfully scored three 3-pointers from the first quarter, spearheading his team's attack on the outskirts. Since then, Yoo has continued to play outside. His final score is 17 points.

Korea's away match against Japan, which called for a change of generation, has ended successfully. The team produced better-than-expected performances. The Korean team has displayed a ray of hope through this exhibition game. Coach Ahn Jun-ho also expressed satisfaction, saying, "It seems that the team has shown a ray of hope in Korean basketball." Now, the Korean team needs to return to Korea to nurture more hope.