Lee Woo-seok (24, 196.2 cm) returned from the Asian Games highly motivated.
Ulsan Hyundai Mobis’ Lee Woo-seok scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds in 21 minutes and eight seconds against Anyang Jungkwanjang in the Group D preliminary round of the 2023 MG New Village Gold KBL Cup at Wolmyeong Gymnasium in Gunsan on Wednesday. It was Lee’s first game since returning from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, and he took to the court in a Hyundai Mobis uniform for the first time in a long time to adjust his physical condition.
Lee Woo-seok said, “My teammates have been so good to me. From (Kim) Kook-chan to (Park) Mubin to (Kim) Tae-wan, they work really hard. I have to adapt and match them a bit more. Especially Mubin and Tae Wan-i in front of me, they played so hard. It made me realize that I need to work harder,” he said after the match.
“My ankle is fine. I lost a lot of weight for the Asian Games, but I’m putting it back on. Even today (Nov. 11), coach (Cho Dong-hyun) told me to play only 10 minutes, but I told him I wanted to play more,” he said, sharing his current physical condition.
The South Korean men’s basketball team, including Lee Woo-seok, finished seventh at the Hangzhou Asian Games. It was their worst finish at an Asian Games in history. Despite the poor result, Lee gained valuable experience playing internationally.
“I didn’t play my game at all. I didn’t get to play any of the basketball I had learned. I also got a lot of motivation. I should have coordinated more with my brothers in terms of system, but I wasn’t ready for that, and I think that’s why I didn’t play well,” Lee said.
Lee Woo-seok joined Hyundai Mobis in 2020 and has been improving with every game, earning a spot in the national team. He is the mainstay of the current 토토 team and the future. If he continues to improve in the new season, the team can look forward to even greater heights.
“I want to refine my play and the things I’ve learned with coach Cho Dong-hyun and Yang Dong-geun,” said Lee Woo-seok. “I think I need to pay more attention to playing concisely and saving my teammates. Our team’s strength is organization, but after playing today’s game, I feel like I’m back home. Now that we have some juniors, I want to lead the game with stability and ease.”