“Enough of Hope Torture” Korean Basketball Needs Experience + Naturalized Player

The Korean men’s basketball team had a 1-1 record in two away warm-up matches against the Japanese men’s basketball team on July 5 and 7. 메이저사이트

The match was more worrisome than expected. Japan, which will participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics, has reorganized its organizational structure and displayed proper capabilities through warm-up matches with world powers, while Korea was an improvised team that trained only four days ago.

Contrary to expectations, the team showed good performance. It has completely overcome the frustrating framework of its consistent performance through mismatches and post-attacks at the Asian Games last year. Led by guards Lee Jung-hyun, Yoo Ki-sang and Oh Jae-hyun, the team staged fast and explosive attacks and robust defense activities to counter the speed and space basketball that Japan has been working on for a long time.

Lee Jung-hyun, the main striker, has confirmed that he has the capacity to become the ace player of the national team beyond his team (Koyang Sono), and has also seen his potential against Yoo Ki-sang (Changwon LG) and Lee Won-seok (Seoul Samsung). A good performance is bound to be well received. The fans’ response was enthusiastic, and the media also complimented him, saying, “I saw the hope of Korean basketball.”

Stop repeating the past
However, we should not forget that we have already seen hope several times over a long period of time. The same was said in the late 2000s when Jeong Young-sam, Yang Hee-jong (retired) and Oh Se-geun (Seoul SK) made good performances for the national team, won the gold medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, and when they were praised as “KORden State” under coach Hur Jae in 2017, they were armed with hot 3-point shooting basketball.

“Korean basketball, I saw hope.”

It has been more than 15 years since he had been touting “hope” for hope. Now is the time to move on to the next stage. It is time to realize hope and possibility. To this end, the team should give its members, who will lead the team for 10 to 15 years, an opportunity to accumulate experience. They should not be blinded by their performance in two warm-up matches. The team will be disbanded after playing in only two matches.

What’s scary about Japan is its experience. Whether at a competition or an exhibition game, Japan clashed with a world basketball powerhouse every year, expressing its fear of them.

Japan’s ultra-short guards, including Yuki Togashi, who is 167 centimeters tall, and Yuki Kawamura, who is 172 centimeters tall, show confidence in themselves as they have encountered strong opponents, run into countless barriers, and overcome limitations. In an exhibition match against Korea, Kawamura had no fear of Korean players who were far bigger than himself. He had experiences with far stronger players at last year’s World Cup basketball.

Korea, like Japan, needs momentum to drive growth of young players. If Lee could see beyond Korea the qualifications of being the best guard in Asia, he should meet European, South American and North American players and give them an opportunity to face a wall to seek growth.

“I thought Japan was strong, but once I did it, I thought we could do it enough,” Lee said at the Incheon International Airport on Tuesday. “Honestly, I wish that Rui Hachimura (LA Lakers) would play. There are not many chances to encounter NBA players. If we play against a stronger team, our players will be able to unite. In that sense, it is regrettable that we did not participate in the William and John’s Cup. I have said a lot that it would be better for the players to play more games as members now.”

A naturalized player is a must
Korea played without a naturalized player in the exhibition game. This is because his contract with Ra Gun-ah has ended. There is no alternative for now. Players, coaching staff, and the association all know the need for a naturalized player.

“Seeing a naturalized player (Josh Hawkinson) from Japan made us feel the need even more,” said coach Ahn Jun-ho, who led the Korean national team. “We absolutely need a naturalized player (a naturalized player). Recruiting naturalized players is a trend that every country is making. I hope there is a naturalized player that suits our team’s color.”

This is up to the Korea Basketball Association, which is in charge of managing the national team. The biggest problem is money. “We need a naturalized player to achieve our goal of advancing to the 2028 LA Olympics and the 2032, far from Australia Olympics,” said Jeong Jae-yong, vice chairman of the association. The association is also aware of the importance. Budget is the biggest issue. We plan to come up with diverse measures and discuss with the KBL as well.”

“The KBL also provided a lot of help in convening the national team this time. We will establish a cooperative system and make a strong national team,” he said.