The 201-cm forward who powered Korea past Japan in the Asian Games final is the son of a former Asian Games gold medalist Seong Jeong-a
Lee Hyun-jung speaks to the media after arriving at Incheon International Airport on Monday, following South Korea’s gold medal win in the men’s basketball final against Japan at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. (Yonhap)
Lee Hyun-jung speaks to the media after arriving at Incheon International Airport on Monday, following South Korea’s gold medal win in the men’s basketball final against Japan at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. (Yonhap)
Behind South Korea’s first Asian Games men’s basketball gold medal in 12 years on Sunday was an outstanding performance from Lee Hyun-jung, the 201-centimeter-tall, 25-year-old forward who grew up in a family steeped in basketball.
Lee finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds against host Japan in Sunday’s final, powering Korea to a 67-57 victory and a perfect 6-0 run at the tournament. It was Korea’s fifth Asian Games men’s basketball title and its first on foreign soil since the 1982 New Delhi Games.
Lee was at the center of Korea’s run from start to finish, combining his size, outside shooting and versatility to give the team a steady scoring and rebounding presence.
When the buzzer sounded, Lee embraced his teammates and burst into tears.
“I tend to cry after winning a championship," he said. "When I thought about the fans, my teammates and the coaches, I couldn’t hold back the tears.”
South Korea’s Lee Hyun-jung poses with his gold medal on the podium after winning the men’s basketball final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s Lee Hyun-jung poses with his gold medal on the podium after winning the men’s basketball final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. (Yonhap)
Despite his standout performance, Lee gave himself only a grade of 70 or 80 points out of 100 for the tournament.
“I’m never completely satisfied with how I play,” he said. “There were rebounds I failed to secure today and free throws I missed. I also could have done a better job of staying composed and controlling the game.”
The gold medal was the latest milestone in a career that has taken Lee from Korean youth basketball to Davidson College, the NBA G League, Australia and Japan — and now back to the NBA, where he is preparing for another chance to make an NBA roster.
Lee's path to gold, then the NBA dream
Sunday's victory also made Lee and his mother, Seong Jeong-a, the first Korean mother-son duo to win Asian Games gold medals in the same sport. Lee’s father, Lee Yoon-hwan, was also a basketball player.
Lee began playing basketball in the fourth grade. When he entered middle school, he stood around 170 cm — undersized for a forward — and played mostly as a guard. The position pushed him to sharpen his ball-handling and midrange shooting, which are skills that later became central to his versatility on the court.
Then came a growth spurt. With a mother who stands at 182 centimeters and a father at 192 centimeters tall, Lee grew to 190 centimeters by the ninth grade. His height allowed him to compete with bigger players, while his guard skills made him quicker and more versatile than many players his size.
Lee’s play at Maesan Middle School earned him a spot on the national team for the 2015 FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Men. Korea stunned regional powerhouse China in the semifinals before winning the tournament, giving Lee his first taste of international glory.
Lee Hyun-jung dribbles on the court during his time at Davidson College. (Getty Images)
Lee Hyun-jung dribbles on the court during his time at Davidson College. (Getty Images)
After starring as a 201-cm guard and forward for the Wildcats at Davidson College in North Carolina from 2019 to 2022 — best known as the alma mater of Stephen Curry — Lee went undrafted in 2022 and joined the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate, the following year. He also played for several teams in the NBA Summer League but never landed an NBA contract.
Lee then moved to Australia, helping the Illawarra Hawks win the National Basketball League title in 2025 before joining Japan’s Nagasaki Velca.
In Japan, Lee emerged as one of the B.League’s most reliable long-range shooters. He hit 47.9 percent of his 3-point attempts during the 2025-26 season and was named the Championship MVP.
He could have stayed in Japan, where he reportedly had a contract worth around 2 billion won ($1.44 million) a year for the 2026-27 season.
Instead, earlier this month Lee inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. The one-year, nonguaranteed NBA minimum salary deal gives the team flexibility to evaluate fringe or undrafted players during training camp and secure their G League rights.
To take his shot at making the roster, Lee will fly to Portland, Oregon, on Saturday.
junheee@heraldcorp.com