"Hyper Guard" Lee Jung-hyun (Sono, 25) is a representative guard of Korean basketball. Lee proved his competitiveness in the international arena by scoring 27 points and 26 points in the first and second warm-up matches against Japan in July, respectively. Lee, who has been renewing his career highs every season, aims to win the team this year. Standing at the center of Sono, who is in his second season since his re-foundation, Lee has heavy shoulders.
Lee averaged 36 minutes and 43 seconds in 44 games last season, scoring 22.8 points. In a game against Busan KCC in February, he recorded his highest score in a game by scoring a double-double with 42 points, four rebounds, and 11 assists. He was also named the unanimous round MVP for the first time in professional basketball history.
It was the best season for Lee, but the team was in poor condition. Sono, who re-founded the league after twists and turns, failed to advance to the playoffs by finishing eighth in the regular season league last season.
Lee Jung-hyun met with reporters in Taipei, Taiwan, where Sono's off-season training is underway, and said, "Even though my personal performance was good last season, I felt sorry and empty," adding, "I want to take a lot of team wins this season without paying much attention to my personal record."
Sono acquired Lee Jae-do (33) through a trade to build the strongest guard that leads to Lee Jung-hyun and Lee Jae-do. "If I tried to see Sung-hyun's chance first when I was playing with him and then look for me or a foreign player's attack route after that, this season, I felt a lot less pressure in terms of physical strength and attack," Lee Jung-hyun said. "I think I can achieve better efficiency without owning the ball for a long time like last season."
"The national team's warm-up match against Japan in July was a big turning point," Lee Jung-hyun said. "It was a match that made me want to become a bigger player." He cited the Japanese national team's Yuki Kawamura as an impressive player. "In the matchup, it was similar without being overwhelmingly behind or winning, but I got goosebumps seeing Yuki Kawamura performing well against the top European teams," Lee Jung-hyun said.
Lee Jung-hyun, who received great attention as a rising guard since his debut season, has been steadily improving. "He has improved tremendously compared to his early debut days as a point guard and main ball handler," Lee said. "It was a turning point in my career that I started to receive coach Kim Seung-ki's guidance."
Lee's new season goal is to win a team that can surpass individuals. "The most important thing to me is the team's performance," he said. "It's been a long time since the Goyang team won the championship. My first goal is to make a good season for my team." 메이저놀이터