Basketball captain says criticism brought team closer
As losses piled up for the men's national basketball team in the weeks leading up to the Asian Games, so did criticism of the squad. Fans and pundits alike wondered if Korea, coached by the Latvian Nikolajs Mazurs, had what it takes to reach the podium at the Asian Games in Japan this month. With each passing game here, though, Korea has been authoring a new narrative. Mazurs' team ran the table…
As the men's national basketball team faced a series of losses and mounting criticism in the weeks leading up to the Asian Games, the Korean squad found a new narrative emerging. Coached by Latvian Nikolajs Mazurs, the team overcame their struggles by running the table in the group phase, including a convincing 100-83 victory over Japan in the finale. Their impressive performance continued as they humbled Jordan 114-80 in the quarterfinals at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya.
Following their latest triumph, Korean captain Lee Seoung-hyun expressed that the team under Mazurs is just rounding into form. He stated, "I think it took us a while to get on the same page and start playing the brand of basketball the coach wanted." The coach's respect for the players, allowing them to execute their own game plans, contributed to their newfound confidence.
Lee emphasized, "And we are finally executing his game plans. Our confidence is running high." Ahead of the Asian Games, where Korea was in desperate need of assurance, the team's recent successes have shifted their fortunes.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Basketball captain says criticism brought team closer koreatimes.co.kr
