“You have to be confident, and it’s part of being a player to accept any role and any role.”
The Goyang Sono Skygunners defeated the Seoul SK Knights 75-62 in the sixth round of the regular season of the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball Association (KBA) at Jamsil Student Gymnasium on Nov. 19.
Lee Jung-hyun said, “It was a very good performance today. I felt like we stepped up on defense and played more. When we played against SK, I felt that we ran a lot more on defense and in the fast break, but today we ran more, 바카라사이트 and I think we won because we worked harder.”
Lee Jung-hyun was on fire on the day. Lee put on a one-man show with 34 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. He accounted for half of the team’s points. Lee had every right to feel the pressure of more defense on him, but as you can see, he was the top scorer on both teams.
“Every team’s defense is a little different, but they press a lot, they don’t let you get the ball, and they come out with a tight defense. I feel like I’m relaxed because I’m trying to break the defense and win, so I think that after going through a lot of defenses this season, I’ll be able to grow and attack them better next season.”
Recently, Lee’s playing time has been one of the highest in the league. Starting with the Samsung Electronics in Seoul on September 9, Lee played more than 35 minutes in five consecutive games. On this day, he played 38 minutes and 42 seconds, almost full-time. In a way, he is the key player for the SONO.
“First of all, it’s hard because I’m physically active on the court. I feel like I can put more energy into the court because my coach is considerate enough to let me take a break from workouts or instruct me to lift weights. Recently, I didn’t have the confidence to play a lot because of the tight schedule, but I feel like I’m playing well and I’m excited to see the fans, so I feel like I’m playing even more.”
Sono coach Kim Seung-ki expressed his disappointment before the match. In fact, at the beginning of the season, SONO was competing in the middle of the pack with 8 wins and 8 losses when Lee Jung-hyun and Jeon Sung-hyun were playing together. However, after Lee went down with an injury, the team lost eight straight matches, and to make matters worse, Jeon went out with a back injury.
“If it wasn’t for the injury, I don’t think I would have been able to compete for the top six so far, but it’s a result story. I was injured and had a long break. I think this is also an experience. I think it was a process this season, and I think I can make it a good process next season.”
Lee Jung-hyun, the MVP of the fifth round, is a strong candidate for the sixth round. ”We have a lot of injuries on the team. I have no choice but to play 40 minutes, and the coach told me that I have to play. I think I’m playing well because of my competitive spirit, defense, and activity. I want to play three games without injury,” he said.
Next season, Kim Seung-ki promised big changes. ”We consider this season as a rebuilding process, and we plan to build a team with the right members for next season. He also decided to recruit mercenaries by meeting them in person. However, he pointed to Lee Jung-hyun as a key player and said that he could only do as much as he did this season.
“You have to be confident. I think it’s natural as a player to accept any role and any role, and I think you have to do your best in the role and contribute to the team. Whether the role is the same or different from now, I’m trying to play my best. I think that shouldn’t change,” he added.