Lee Hyun-jung powers Nagasaki to first title

“I have the mentality of a fighting dog.”

Lee Hyun-jung made the remark in an interview with a Japanese basketball publication before the winner-take-all Game 3 of the 2025-26 B.League Finals on Wednesday. Hours later, Nagasaki’s star player backed up his words, scoring a game-high 23 points to lead his team to a 72-64 victory over Ryukyu.

The win delivered the first B.League championship in the club’s history since its founding in 2020. Lee was also named playoff MVP after spearheading Nagasaki’s title run. Over seven postseason games, the 26-year-old led the team in both scoring at 19.4 points per game and rebounding at 6.7. He became the first South Korean player to earn MVP honors in the Japanese league’s playoffs.

Known as one of South Korea’s top sharpshooters, the 201-centimeter forward arrived in Nagasaki after winning a championship last season with Australia’s Illawarra Hawks. He quickly established himself as one of the B.League’s most dangerous offensive threats, leading the league with 187 made 3-pointers while posting a 47.9% success rate from beyond the arc across 57 regular-season appearances.

Nagasaki’s rise mirrored Lee’s impact. After finishing sixth in the Western Conference in each of its first two seasons in the top division following promotion in 2023-24, the club surged to the conference title with a 47-13 record before completing its remarkable campaign with the championship trophy.

Basketball excellence runs in Lee’s family. His mother, Sung Jung-a, helped South Korea capture a silver medal in women’s basketball at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. His father, Lee Yun-hwan, is a former coach at Samil High School.

“My son’s relentless hustle comes from me,” Sung said with a laugh during a telephone interview. “Watching him build a career overseas makes me incredibly proud. I turn 60 this year, and he has given me the finest gift I could have received.”

Lee is scheduled to return to South Korea on June 4 and rejoin the national team, where he is expected to play a leading role. While he wears No. 5 for Nagasaki, he dons the No. 1 jersey for South Korea.

With the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games approaching in September, Lee has already set his sights on the top of the podium. “He told me, ‘Mom, I can win gold. Don’t worry,’” Sung recalled.

Before the Asian Games, Lee and the South Korean national team will play Taiwan on July 3 and Japan on July 6 in the first round of Asian qualifying for the 2027 FIBA World Cup. Both games will be held at Goyang Sono Arena.


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