Following in Seong Jeong-a’s footsteps, Lee becomes part of first Korean mother-son duo to win Asian Games gold in same sport
Lee Hyun-jung could have chosen certainty.
After establishing himself as one of the top players for the Nagasaki Velca in Japan’s B.League, the Korean forward reportedly had an annual salary of around 2 billion won ($1.44 million) waiting for him for the 2026-27 season.
Instead, the 25-year-old walked away from it to take another shot at the NBA -- a gamble that came with no guaranteed roster spot and no promise of success.
But before heading to the United States, Lee had unfinished business with the national team: bringing home South Korea’s first Asian Games gold medal in 12 years.
He stayed true to his goal.
Lee finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds against host Japan on Sunday in the final, powering Korea to a 67-57 victory.
When the buzzer sounded, Lee embraced his teammates and burst into tears. Korea had capped a perfect 6-0 run by defeating host Japan for the second time in the tournament to claim its fifth Asian Games men’s basketball title.
After the game, Lee thanked his teammates and the coaching staff for the victory. “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.”
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.”
It was Korea’s first gold medal in the event on foreign soil since the 1982 New Delhi Games.
The victory also made Lee and his mother, former national team star Seong Jeong-a, the first Korean mother-son duo to win Asian Games gold medals in the same sport.
Lee's path to gold
Lee has been chasing his NBA dream for years. And the willingness to bet on himself has defined Lee’s professional career.
After going undrafted in 2022, he 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 a contract.
After starring as a 201-centimeter guard and forward for the Wildcats at Davidson College in North Carolina from 2019 to 2022, Lee began chasing his NBA dream in the G League. He then moved to Australia, where he helped the Illawarra Hawks win the National Basketball League title in 2025, before joining Japan’s Nagasaki Velca.
In Japan, Lee soon 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 remained in Japan, where a lucrative contract and a prominent role awaited.
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.
Road to star player
Lee began playing basketball in the fourth grade. When he entered middle school, he stood around 170 centimeters — 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 182 centimeters and a father 192 centimeters tall, Lee had grown 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.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
