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South Korea's men's basketball 'ace' Lee Hyun-jung continues his challenge to enter the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has accepted a contract at the minimum salary level. Lee Hyun-jung's agency, Epic Sports, announced on September 7 that he signed an 'Exhibit 10' contract with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the 2026-2027 season. 'Exhibit 10' is a one-year non-guaranteed contract with the lowest salary level. It does not guarantee a spot on the official roster. However, it allows participation in the team's training camp to prove his skills. Even if he does not make the final roster, he can earn a separate bonus by completing a set period with the team's G League (NBA's secondary league) affiliate. This is a common path for players aiming to enter the NBA.
Korean national team forward Choi Jun-yong announced Wednesday he will try to reach the world's top basketball league. At a press conference in Seoul, Choi said he will soon move to the United States to embark on a journey toward the National Basketball Association (NBA). "I have had this dream since I was in elementary school," said Choi, who has been playing in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) since 2016. "I have tackled my share of challenges in Korea, but I have always felt something was missing. I now realize I have wanted to go to the NBA for the longest time."
Lee is aiming to cash in on his long-shot opportunity from long distance. And his aim is usually true. “We all know he can shoot the basketball,” Spurs Summer League coach Corliss Williamson said. Having spent the past two seasons playing professionally overseas, Lee is a relative unknown among the American basketball-watching public. In South Korea, however, he is basically Steph Curry. Last November, Lee set the FIBA single-game record for 3-pointers in a World Cup qualifier with nine, set against China, a performance that established him as an international prospect to watch.
South Korean men’s basketball ace Lee Hyun-jung will join the NBA’s prestigious San Antonio Spurs at the 2026 NBA Summer League. Lee’s agency, Epic Sports, announced on the 4th that "Lee Hyun-jung has finalized his selection of the San Antonio Spurs as the team to participate in the NBA Summer League this summer."
The stage has expanded to the NBA. Korean college basketball is receiving global attention. The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) announced on the 10th that it has completed a Series A funding round with participation from global investors. AUBL views South Korea as one of its core strategic markets and plans to actively promote league operations and community expansion. AUBL is a pan-Asian university sports league launched with the goal of strengthening competitiveness and globalizing Asian college basketball. The 2026 season will be a pivotal year for league expansion, with the opening match and first home-and-away games scheduled to be held in South Korea. This investment round was led by Blue Pool Capital, the family office of Joe Tsai, co-founder of Alibaba and owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Other investors included Avenue Capital Group, led by Marc Lasry, former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks; Bolt Ventures, co-owned by David Blitzer, co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers; Nan Fung Group, a Hong Kong conglomerate; HSG (formerly Sequoia China), a venture capital firm; and Yao Ming, a Chinese basketball legend.
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Rondae Hollis-Jefferson: And so right after I won the Philippines championship, because I was refreshed, I wasn't playing in Korea. I'm averaging 10 minutes a game. The games I did play, I would dominate, but for the most part, I'm recharged going into the Philippines. So that's when I stopped drinking. I'm in bed by 9.30, 10 o'clock. I'm waking up at 4 or 5 am, and I'm working out. I'm super locked in. And literally from then on, it was the best basketball of my career. And that's where I'm watching Kobe every day. I'm watching Jordan every day. I'm just like, it's on repeat every single day. Any of my teammates from Puerto Rico to Turkey, to Korea, any of my teammates, every game, they'll see me on my phone. I'm not on Instagram. I'm not on, I'm watching Kobe. I'm watching Jordan. I'm just watching how they move. I'm watching how they're being guarded and all of these things. So, like leading up to the World Cup, I've always loved the armband and things like that. But leading up to the World Cup, I'm like, "Nah, this is gonna be special."
Former Timberwolves player Nathan Knight signed with South Korean team Sono SkyGunners for the 2025-26 season.
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