A different national team.
On Friday, the Wonju General Gymnasium in Wonju, Gangwon Province, will host the South Korean men’s national basketball team against Thailand in a Group A matchup in Window 1 of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. The team arrived in Wonju at midnight on the 24th after their game against Australia, and after a morning rest, 스포츠토토 they had a brief court training in the afternoon.
“Were you worried about the first game?” asked Byun Jun-hyung (Armed Forces Athletic Corps), who started against Australia. Byun led the backcourt with nine points, three rebounds, and two steals in 21 minutes and 58 seconds against Australia.
“Australia was missing key players, but there were a lot of good scorers in the league, so I was honestly worried. Our defense, which we prepared for a short time, and the youthfulness of our players worked well against them early in the game. “However, we were disappointed to give up rebounds because Australia’s height was too good and we were physically tired. After the call-up, we trained together for a day or two before we left for Australia, but I was satisfied with our performance. We could have won the game,” he reflected on the first match.
A younger squad. Could this be an opportunity for generational change? Since the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, the team has become more solid. Byun Jun-hyung also cites the national team as one of the main pillars for the future.
“If the national team picks me, I am confident that I will always play hard unless I am sick. It’s not easy to be a national team member. I’m proud and honored that only 12 players from Korea are going,” he said.
“Every player works hard in the league, game by game, match by match. It’s the same with the national team. I don’t think the KBL is a weak league. I think it’s important to focus on the game and work hard.”
The future of Korean basketball compared to Japanese basketball and world basketball in the near future. It’s time to take it seriously and solve it.