South Korea men's basketball loses to Lebanon in FIBA World Cup qualifiers

The South Korean men's national basketball team suffered a 74-93 defeat against Lebanon in the second round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers. The loss leaves South Korea at the bottom of Group F with a 3-4 record, following victories by Japan and China in the same group. This result places South Korea's chances of qualifying for the World Cup in jeopardy.

Despite a strong start led by Lee Hyun-jung, who recorded 11 points and 5 rebounds, the team struggled with perimeter defense and shooting accuracy. Lebanon's outside shooting was significantly more effective, hitting 39.1% of their shots compared to South Korea's 22.9%.

Lee Hyun-jung, who recently participated in the NBA Summer League, emphasized the need for improved rebounding, physical presence, and defensive switching to compete with West Asian teams. South Korea is scheduled to host Saudi Arabia next on the 31st in an attempt to recover their standing in the group.