Y13 [EN]: Chapter 179

Y13-179 2011 Off-Season

[Korean National Men’s Basketball Team Defeats Iran to Win William Jones Cup!]

The Korean National Men’s Basketball Team triumphed over Iran with a score of 78-62 in the final of the 33rd William Jones Cup, held in Taiwan on the 14th, securing the championship. Despite the setback of Ha Seung-jin’s ejection, which created challenges in the paint [the area close to the basket], Iran’s Haddadi also saw limited playing time due to frequent foul trouble. Korea clinched the victory thanks to their impressive shooting accuracy.

As in the previous 8 games, South Korea heavily relied on their ace player, Yoon Young-jae. Demonstrating exceptional skill, he effortlessly outplayed Iran’s star, Haddadi, throughout the match. Haddadi, known for his NBA-caliber abilities, had led Iran to a third-place finish in the group stage, but in this game, he struggled to contain Yoon Young-jae, committing three fouls while trying to defend him and failing to showcase his usual dominance. Yoon Young-jae finished the tournament as the top scorer, assist provider, and steal leader, underscoring his overwhelming impact.

South Korea maintained a consistent lead throughout the game, achieving a comfortable victory, largely due to the outstanding outside shooting of Yang Dong-geun, Yoon Young-jae, and Moon Tae-jong. The team’s impressive 3-point shooting percentage of 12/27 effectively neutralized Iran’s comeback attempts.

Throughout the tournament, South Korea showcased remarkable offensive firepower, consistently scoring over 90 points per game in all 9 matches. Their undefeated run, winning every game by double-digit margins, solidified their status as the strongest team in Asia. Iran, Jordan, and the Philippines, who were also contenders for the top spot, were unable to match their strength.

The national team, concluding the William Jones Cup with a perfect record of 7 wins in the full league and 2 wins in the tournament, will return home on the 15th and commence training camp on the 22nd in preparation for the FIBA [International Basketball Federation] Asia Championship.

South Korea (1st) 21 22 19 16 78

Iran (2nd) 15 17 18 12 62

Key Player Stats

Yoon Young-jae 23 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists

Moon Tae-jong 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

Yang Dong-geun 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

(Parentheses indicate full league record)

1st South Korea (7 wins)

2nd Iran (5 wins, 2 losses)

3rd Philippines (5 wins, 2 losses)

4th Taiwan (4 wins, 3 losses)

5th Japan (3 wins, 4 losses)

6th Jordan (3 wins, 4 losses)

7th Malaysia (1 win, 6 losses)

8th UAE (7 losses)

Individual Rankings

Scoring

1st Yoon Young-jae (South Korea) 7 games, 24.7 points

2nd Marcus Douthit (Philippines) 6 games, 21.3 points

3rd Juro Matsui (Japan) 7 games, 16.9 points

Assists

1st Yoon Young-jae (South Korea) 7 games, 7.6 assists

2nd Osama Daghles (Jordan) 7 games, 5.4 assists

3rd Takeki Sonaka (Japan) 6 games, 5.3 assists

Steals

1st Yoon Young-jae (South Korea) 7 games, 3.3 steals

2nd Osama Daghles (Jordan) 7 games, 2.3 steals

3rd Mohammad Al-Faras (Iran) 7 games, 2 steals

Re: Wow, watching this tournament, I realized what class is. Seriously, it’s like he’s playing in a different world alone. He’s like an alien all by himself~

Re: I agree. Asia’s strongest is nothing… We couldn’t have won without Yoon Young-jae. Yoon Young-jae was running like crazy to clean up the mess made by the others; it was truly heartbreaking.

Re: I got goosebumps watching him dominate Haddadi and Yi Jianlian. When Yoon Young-jae went to the bench, I was so nervous about how much of the lead we’d lose!

Re: That’s how the KBL [Korean Basketball League] is now. It’s all about the foreign players and the kids, right? They barely cross the half-court line, pass the ball around, and then give it to the foreign player…

Re: We might not make it to the Olympics while he’s here, but we’ll dominate Asia.

Re: I really felt the difference an NBA-level player makes. I didn’t know it would be this significant. The level difference seems even greater than in soccer or baseball;;

Re: It might be more fortunate that the coach is Heo Jae. From what I saw, he gave him almost a free role. Another coach might not have been able to utilize him. Heo Jae lets the offense play freely. It’s not like he doesn’t participate in defense either, and he’s not arrogant just because he’s an NBA player…

Re: Heo Jae said it last time. After a few practice games, he said patterns are meaningless. Just Yoon Young-jae grabbing the ball is the tactic. He said no one at the Asian level can stop him.

“Ugh—9 games in 9 days, I can’t imagine doing that. This isn’t baseball.”

Yoon Young-jae grumbled as he woke up in bed, feeling aches all over his body. He only remembered returning home last night and immediately falling asleep. Following Coach Heo Jae’s instructions that they would reconvene after a five-day break for training, he came to the hotel and immediately fell asleep.

As Yoon Young-jae said, playing 9 basketball games in 9 days is far from normal. Even the NBA or KBL, which have demanding schedules, never play consecutive games for more than 3 days. In the NBA, playing two consecutive games is known as a back-to-back, and the winning rate for teams in those back-to-back games is notoriously low. The key difference here was that all countries were playing consecutive games, leading to widespread player exhaustion. The explosive energy and intense pressing defense typically seen in the NBA were noticeably absent. Players’ shooting percentages gradually declined, and defensive intensity waned.

“Now it’s 5 days. Is the next training session at the National Training Center? It’s been a while… The food was good, and I saw a lot of people outside of basketball.”

Yoon Young-jae was flooded with memories of the past. He recalled entering the National Training Center, greeting athletes from other sports, and being forced to wake up at 6 a.m. every day for gymnastics. At the time, he valued his freedom and complained incessantly, but looking back, he chuckled, recognizing his past immaturity.

“I really need to rest properly during this break. The Asian Championship is also doing something ridiculous, 9 games in 11 days. I have to take care of my own body, because no one else will!”

Yoon Young-jae, remembering the grueling schedule ahead, began light stretching, enduring the aches in his body. He understood the importance of maintaining his basic routine even during rest. While consistent training would normally be his priority, the recent tournament had taught Yoon Young-jae that rest and conditioning were even more crucial. The tournament schedule had made personal training virtually impossible.

[Review of the 26th FIBA Asia Men’s Basketball Championship] September 25, 2011, 21:07

September 15 – September 25

The Korean men’s national basketball team secured its third championship in 14 years. Furthermore, they earned a spot in the 2012 London Olympics, an opportunity granted only to the tournament’s winner. This achievement marked a significant milestone, coming 16 years after their participation in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Following their worst-ever 7th place finish in the previous tournament, this victory served as a redemption.

The 2nd and 3rd place teams are granted entry to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament; however, given the presence of formidable teams from Europe and the Americas, advancing to the Olympics through this route would be a difficult task. Winning the championship was the only sure path.

Korea defeated Jordan, their opponent in the final, with a score of 80-76 on the final day of the 26th Asian Men’s Basketball Championship, held in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on the 25th.

Yang Dong-geun and Ha Seung-jin were sidelined due to injuries. The absence of the team’s captain and key center was expected to pose a significant challenge, leaving the team short of full strength. However, the remaining players displayed remarkable energy and determination, engaging in a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle that ultimately led to victory.

Trailing by 9 points in the first half, Korea narrowed the gap to 5 points thanks to consecutive scores from Kang Byung-hyun in the third quarter. However, Jordan responded with a counterattack, regaining the lead and entering the fourth quarter with an 11-point advantage. It was at this point that Korea launched their remarkable comeback. From a score of 50-59, Yoon Young-jae’s consecutive points ignited the chase. Then, from 57-63, Moon Tae-jong’s 3-point shot and subsequent free throw brought them within striking distance at 71-73 with 2 minutes and 57 seconds remaining.

With just 47 seconds left, Yoon Young-jae delivered a clutch 3-point shot, giving Korea their first lead at 77-76. Capitalizing on the opponent’s missed free throw, Korea secured the offensive opportunity, sealing a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

Participating Countries (16 countries)

South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Jordan, Lebanon, India, Uzbekistan, Iran, Philippines, Syria, Qatar, Indonesia, Bahrain, UAE

Korea is ranked 31st in the FIBA rankings, placing them 5th in Asia, behind 10th-ranked China, 20th-ranked Iran, 24th-ranked Lebanon, and 29th-ranked Qatar. Jordan follows closely behind in 32nd place, with Japan in 33rd.

Round Method

Preliminary Round – 4 teams in 4 groups compete, with the top 3 teams from each group advancing to the final league.

Final League – 6 countries are divided into 2 groups to compete in the final league, with the top 4 countries advancing to the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinal Tournament – 4 teams determine the final ranking through a tournament. The 1st place team earns direct qualification to the Olympics, while the 2nd and 3rd place teams proceed to the Olympic World Qualifying Tournament, which includes teams eliminated from other regional qualifiers.

The group stage results are carried over to the final league, and teams that have already faced each other in the group stage do not clash again in the final league.

Final Ranking

1st South Korea

2nd Jordan

3rd China

4th Philippines

MVP [Most Valuable Player]

Yoon Young-jae (24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 58.9% field goal percentage, 46.9% 3-point, 91.7% free throw)

Tournament Best 5

Osama Daghles (Point Guard, Jordan)

Yoon Young-jae (Shooting Guard, South Korea)

Samad Nikkhah Bahrami (Small Forward, Iran)

Yi Jianlian (Power Forward, China)

Hamed Haddadi (Center, Iran)

Quarterfinals

Jordan (F Group 4th) 88:84 Iran (E Group 1st)

Japan (F Group 3rd) 65:88 South Korea (E Group 2nd)

Philippines (F Group 2nd) 95:78 Taiwan (E Group 3rd)

China (F Group 1st) 78:46 Lebanon (F Group 4th)

Semifinals

Jordan 75:61 Philippines

South Korea 76:68 China

Final

South Korea 80:76 Jordan

Re: It’s obvious that it would have been difficult without Yoon Young-jae; I was shocked that Ha Seung-jin and Yang Dong-geun were missing, but when I saw Yoon Young-jae play, I didn’t think we would lose. Basketball is a center-dominated game, but I realized that a guard can overcome that if the difference in skill is this significant.

Re: I didn’t see him rest throughout the 4th quarter. Of course, if he hadn’t run that much, we would have been destroyed by China in the semifinals, let alone win the championship. If Yoon Young-jae hadn’t overwhelmed Yi Jianlian, who was playing out of his mind… goosebumps.

Re: Let’s learn something. Huh? I really don’t enjoy watching Korean basketball, but I watched it because of Yoon Young-jae. It’s like a college student playing basketball among elementary school students; they can’t even stop him in the first place. But it’s not like he’s greedy for points or full of ego; he just pokes the ball into the open spaces, which is really amazing, right? Not just anyone can play in a way that improves the performance of their teammates…

Re: What should I say, he really seems relaxed? He handles things when he has to do it alone, but otherwise, he doesn’t really play the hero. He feels like a really good player.

Re: I really felt the wall of the NBA again. How can a guard, not a center, have that shooting percentage?

September 27, 2011

“Okay, we’re here. Now the only schedule left is filming commercials. The interviews have been taken care of during the break. It starts today. Once you’re done with that, you can go to the United States.”

Yoon Young-jae couldn’t shake off the feeling of awkwardness at the long-awaited commercial shoot. It wasn’t that he had no experience in filming commercials, but that was a thing of the past. And he already knew that filming with such a high guarantee would take a long time and require a lot of effort. But even so, Yoon Young-jae was quite happy. It was as if anything was enjoyable as long as he wasn’t enduring the hellish national team schedule.

Yoon Young-jae was wearing a black suit for the first time in a long time, making him feel self-conscious. Even in the United States, Yoon Young-jae avoided wearing suits as much as possible at big events, but today, Yoon Young-jae, sporting a metal silver wristwatch and a navy tie, radiated a presence that rivaled any celebrity.

Just as Ahn Jung-hwan, the legend of the 2002 World Cup, filmed a commercial with Hyun-min, one of Korea’s most handsome actors, for the cosmetics brand ‘Flower-like Man’ at the time, and his appearance was not at all overshadowed, Yoon Young-jae also possessed a slightly youthful charm, showcasing a physique that perfectly complemented the suit, along with the rugged appeal unique to athletes.

“Would you like to make a slightly more comfortable expression?”

“Ah, yes.”

Yoon Young-jae began to grasp the kind of expression he needed to project to appear comfortable, though it felt somewhat elusive. He attempted a slight smile, but it came across as an awkward grin, like someone who struggled in front of a camera. When he tried to maintain a serious, expressionless face, he looked blank, leaving the filming director somewhat perplexed.

============================ Work Review ============================

★Thank you to those who pre-selected, recommended, commented, and gave coupons!!

＠I tried not to use the players’ names as much as possible, so I couldn’t summarize it any other way. Some national team players are under indictment by the prosecution;;; Among the remaining players, I really can’t stand to write one of their names. I feel sorry for the rest of the players…

Eunshin Seolya-nim/// I’m glad that our writing helps relieve stress ㅎㅎ

Kimarie-nim, Dirty Pair-nim, incrudu-nim/// We think so too. I wonder if there is even a proper association. Archery is the only one with a relatively clean image.

LightSaber-nim, CrazyQ-nim/// It’s true that baseball is almost a national sport these days, so it’s easy to understand when compared to baseball ㅋㅋ

kksswqq771-nim/// It seems like the areas are separated. The KBL is a league that only manages professional basketball, and the KBA [Korean Basketball Association] seems to oversee national teams, amateurs, and students. The KBL is also almost as incompetent. They are dragged around by whatever the club representatives want;;; And many of our associations are quite poor. If you look at the level of countries that bring in A-match friendly matches for soccer, there is no answer.

ㅎ0ㅎ-nim/// Non-popular sports really have no answer;;; I deeply agree with what ㅎ0ㅎ-nim said. Kim Yuna, Park Tae-hwan, Son Yeon-jae, etc. all train at their own expense… At the same time, they forcibly mobilize them for domestic competitions that make them money… I really can’t help but swear. Park Tae-hwan forcibly took the prize money to give to the youth, and Son Yeon-jae was stopped from leaving the airport to come out to domestic competitions instead of international competitions ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Kim Yuna was also told to come out to domestic competitions unconditionally, it’s really a mess.

goimosp-nim/// Most of the audience is free, I heard ㅋㅋ. Referee Hwang Soon-pal changed his name, and he quit this time. I wonder if he feels guilty…

BlueRuiN-nim/// Thank you for pointing it out~

Sarajil Younghon-nim, Omarion-nim, -DarkANGEL-nim, Financia-nim/// Thank you for your comments as always!!

Wooyoo Dongja-nim, Ultra10-nim/// They do provide internet broadcasting. But I don’t know if it’s their own broadcasting instead of a broadcasting station, the quality is poor and it keeps cutting off;;; Youngjae’s interview was written after reading and thinking about the interviews of NBA national team players. NBA clubs also educate on how to interview, and Youngjae himself is already mentally mature.