[ASIAN GAMES] Korean basketball wins 4 medals, but challenges remain at home

Korean basketball swept four medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the women’s and men’s 5x5 teams and the men’s and women’s 3x3 squads all reaching the podium. The women’s 5x5 team beat Japan 75-70 for its first Asian Games gold in 12 years, while the men’s 3x3 side won Korea’s first Asian Games gold in the event. The results have raised hopes, but analysts said domestic structural weaknesses still need attention.

The women’s 3x3 team won Korea’s first Asian Games medal in the event by beating Thailand 21-8 for bronze on Friday.

The men’s 5x5 team, coached by Latvia’s Nikolajs Mazurs, ended a 12-year Asian Games drought by defeating Japan 67-57 in the final on Sept. 20.

The men’s 3x3 squad defeated Qatar 19-10 to win Korea’s first Asian Games gold in the sport.

The Korean Basketball League drew 811,185 spectators in the 2025-26 regular season, its first time above 800,000 in nine seasons, but that remained far below its 2013-14 record of 1.2 million.

Korea has 2,351 registered student athletes, while neighboring Japan has 582,670 student players and 33,386 affiliated teams.

Published Sep 26, 2026 4:24 pm KST

Updated Sep 27, 2026 1:56 pm KST

Experts credit rare continuity, more open approach to int'l competition

South Korea's women's basketball team celebrate its victory over Japan in the gold medal match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Korean basketball is enjoying a rare moment of across-the-board success at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, securing medals in the women’s and men’s 5x5 and 3x3 events, a striking international resurgence for a sport that has struggled for attention, infrastructure and a stable pipeline at home.

Korea’s women’s 5x5 team captured its first Asian Games gold medal in 12 years, defeating host Japan 75-70 in Saturday’s final. The women’s 3x3 side also claimed its first Asian Games medal, beating Thailand 21-8 for bronze on Friday.

The men’s 5x5 team, coached by Latvia’s Nikolajs Mazurs, also ended a 12-year Asian Games drought by defeating Japan 67-57 in the final on Sept. 20. The men’s 3x3 squad followed Friday with Korea’s first Asian Games gold in the sport, defeating Qatar 19-10.

South Korean players cheer from the bench at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games women’s basketball final against host Japan at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

For a sport whose domestic profile has declined from its peak in the 1990s, the results have offered an unusual burst of optimism.

Cho Hyun-il, a basketball analyst and commentator, attributed Korea’s medal haul to sustained preparation, tactical adaptability and a willingness among national team staff to look beyond the domestic game.

“Other countries may have sent less-than-full-strength squads, but that should not diminish what Korea did,” Cho told The Korea Times. “For Korea, the Asian Games was a clearly defined target, and the teams prepared for it with real commitment.”

“The men’s gold was the result of a challenge taken on by everyone — the players, the coaching staff and the federation,” basketball analyst and former professional player Kim Jin-yong told The Korea Times. “It was not the perfect lineup everyone had imagined, but they waited for each player to be ready and for the team to show what it could do.”

South Korea's men's 3x3 basketball players celebrate their victory over Japan in the gold medal match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Kinjo-futo Station Square, Japan, Friday. Yonhap

The success has arrived long after the heady era of Korean college basketball in the mid-1990s. The 1993-94 Basketball Festival, when Yonsei University became the first college team to win the tournament by beating leading corporate teams, transformed the sport. Stars including Seo Jang-hoon, Lee Sang-min, Woo Ji-won and Moon Kyung-eun, creating a strong youth fandom.

Basketball’s cultural reach was reinforced by the Korean popularity of Japanese manga series “Slam Dunk” and the 1994 television drama “The Last Match.” Games quickly sold out, and star players appeared on the covers of popular magazines.

That popularity faded after the professional league launched in 1997. Franchise relocations weakened local ties and the sport lost the college-versus-corporate-team narrative that had made the Basketball Festival compelling.

Korea’s domestic game is showing signs of recovery. The Korean Basketball League drew 811,185 spectators during the 2025-26 regular season, its first time above 800,000 in nine seasons, averaging about 3,000 attendees per game. However, it remains far below the league’s record 1.2 million spectators in 2013-14.

Korea has long relied on a small school and university pipeline to produce professional and national team players. There are currently 2,351 registered student athletes. Neighboring Japan’s much larger ecosystem has 582,670 student players and 33,386 affiliated teams.

South Korea's men's basketball players celebrate their victory over Japan in the final match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Kim said the Asian Games breakthrough represented a hard-won victor for the players, coaches and administrators as they move beyond the restrictions that have long constrained Korean basketball. The federation’s willingness to persist with Mazurs, Korea’s first foreign coach for the men’s team, was a key example of committing to changes despite early criticism of his training methods and disappointing early results.

“Waiting is itself a level of maturity,” Kim said. “People often say after one bad game that someone should be fired. But when you wait, something can emerge.”

He said the 3x3 medal win was no accident. Korea required players to compete on its domestic Korea Tour circuit to be eligible for the Asian Games team, then gave the athletes exposure through international events, including the Nations League and World Cup qualifying competitions.

“It was a project designed to win gold, not something that happened because the pieces just fell into place,” Kim said.

South Korea's women's 3x3 basketball players celebrate their victory over Japan in the bronze medal match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Kinjo-futo Station Square, Japan, Friday. Yonhap

Cho said the women’s team also benefited from continuity following its World Cup campaign, allowing coach Park Soo-ho to develop their timing and cohesion. Korea also adjusted its game to exploit matchup while playing against China in the semifinals, rather than rigidly following a predetermined game plan. “They maintained their identity but responded flexibly,” Cho said.

But the Asian Games medals do not erase structural weaknesses. Kim noted that the women’s team lacks enough players to run full 5x5 practices. Korea must also resist treating the Asian Games as an endpoint, he said, arguing that the stated goal of reaching the quarterfinals at the 2032 Olympics demands deeper investment in international competition, player development and the domestic game.

“The work does not end with this,” Kim said. “The federation and the league need to improve the atmosphere at arenas so people who enjoy watching the national team will also want to follow the league and basketball itself.”

A South Korean gets ready to shoot at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games women’s basketball final at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

“After winning gold at the 2014 Asian Games, Korea failed to carry that momentum forward,” Cho said. “A gold medal does not mean every task has been completed. The federation and the league need to work closely together, while the men’s game must continue exploring naturalization and the women’s game needs to strengthen its player base.”

He went on to say that Korea needs a longer-term international strategy, including more overseas exhibition games and competitive opportunities.

“Korea has not qualified for the Olympics in men’s basketball for 30 years,” Cho said. “Playing friendlies at home matters, but playing abroad is even more valuable for a country that has so few chances to experience international basketball.”

在爱知-名古屋亚运会上，韩国篮球包揽四枚奖牌，女子五人制、男子五人制、男子三人制和女子三人制均登上领奖台。女子五人制篮球队以75比70战胜日本队，时隔12年再次夺得亚运会金牌；男子三人制篮球队则为韩国赢得了该项目的首枚亚运会金牌。这些成绩令人振奋，但分析人士指出，韩国国内篮球体系的薄弱环节仍需重视。

周五，韩国女子3x3队以21比8战胜泰国队，获得铜牌，为韩国赢得了该项目在亚运会上的首枚奖牌。

由拉脱维亚教练尼古拉斯·马祖尔斯执教的男子5x5接力队在9月20日的决赛中以67比57击败日本队，结束了长达12年的亚运会冠军荒。

男子3x3篮球队以19比10战胜卡塔尔队，为韩国赢得了该项目在亚运会上的首枚金牌。

2025-26赛季韩国篮球联赛常规赛吸引了811185名观众，这是九个赛季以来首次超过80万人，但这仍然远低于2013-14赛季创下的120万人的纪录。

韩国有 2,351 名注册学生运动员，而邻国日本有 582,670 名学生运动员和 33,386 支附属队伍。

发布于2026年9月26日下午4:24（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月27日下午1:56（韩国标准时间）

专家认为，罕见的连续性以及更加开放的国际竞争态度是关键所在。

周六，在位于日本名古屋的爱知国际体育馆举行的2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会决赛中，韩国女篮战胜日本队夺得金牌，赛后队员们庆祝胜利。（韩国时报 崔元硕 摄）

韩国篮球在爱知-名古屋亚运会上取得了罕见的全面成功，在女子和男子5x5和3x3项目中均获得奖牌，这对于一项在国内一直缺乏关注、基础设施和稳定人才培养体系的运动来说，是一次引人注目的国际复兴。

韩国女子五人制橄榄球队在周六的决赛中以75比70战胜东道主日本队，夺得12年来的首枚亚运会金牌。女子三人制橄榄球队也在周五的比赛中以21比8战胜泰国队，获得铜牌，这也是韩国队首次获得亚运会奖牌。

由拉脱维亚教练尼古拉斯·马祖尔斯执教的男子5x5000队在9月20日的决赛中以67比57击败日本队，结束了长达12年的亚运会冠军荒。男子3x3000队随后在周五为韩国队赢得了该项目在亚运会上的首枚金牌，以19比10击败卡塔尔队。

周六，在日本名古屋爱知国际体育馆举行的2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会女篮决赛中，韩国队球员在替补席上为东道主日本队加油助威。（韩国时报 崔元硕 摄）

对于一项在国内知名度自 20 世纪 90 年代巅峰时期以来有所下降的运动来说，这些成绩带来了一股不同寻常的乐观情绪。

篮球分析师兼评论员赵贤日将韩国队获得的奖牌归功于持续的准备、战术上的适应能力以及国家队工作人员愿意将目光投向国内比赛之外。

“其他国家或许派出了实力不济的队伍，但这不应掩盖韩国的成就，”赵先生告诉《韩国时报》。“对韩国来说，亚运会是一个明确的目标，各队都为此付出了极大的努力。”

“男篮夺得金牌是所有人——球员、教练组和协会——共同努力的结果，”篮球评论员、前职业球员金镇勇告诉《韩国时报》。“这并非每个人想象中的完美阵容，但他们耐心等待每位球员做好准备，让球队展现出应有的实力。”

周五，在日本金城太刀站广场举行的2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会上，韩国男子三人篮球队在决赛中战胜日本队，夺得金牌。（韩联社）

韩国大学篮球的辉煌时期已过去多年，如今才迎来新的成功。1993-94赛季的篮球节上，延世大学击败众多顶尖企业队，成为首支赢得该项赛事冠军的大学球队，彻底改变了这项运动的格局。徐章勋、李相民、禹智媛和文京恩等球星的涌现，也为韩国篮球培养了一批忠实的青少年球迷。

篮球的文化影响力因日本漫画系列《灌篮高手》在韩国的流行以及1994年电视剧《最后一战》在韩国的播出而得到加强。比赛门票很快售罄，明星球员也频频登上流行杂志的封面。

1997 年职业联赛成立后，篮球的受欢迎程度逐渐消退。球队搬迁削弱了与当地的联系，这项运动也失去了大学球队与企业球队对抗的叙事方式，而正是这种叙事方式使篮球节更具吸引力。

韩国国内篮球联赛正呈现复苏迹象。2025-26赛季常规赛期间，韩国篮球联赛吸引了811,185名观众，这是九年来首次突破80万人大关，场均观众人数约为3,000人。然而，这一数字仍远低于2013-14赛季创下的120万观众的纪录。

韩国长期以来依赖规模较小的中小学和大学培养职业球员和国家队队员。目前韩国共有2351名注册学生运动员。相比之下，邻国日本拥有规模更大的体育体系，拥有582670名学生运动员和33386支附属球队。

韩国男篮队员在2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会决赛中战胜日本队后庆祝胜利。比赛于周日在日本名古屋爱知国际体育馆举行。韩国时报崔元硕摄

金表示，亚运会的突破对于球员、教练和管理人员来说都是来之不易的胜利，标志着他们突破了长期以来束缚韩国篮球的种种限制。韩国男篮联合会坚持聘用马祖尔斯——韩国男篮历史上首位外籍教练——正是这种决心的体现，尽管马祖尔斯早期的训练方法饱受诟病，且成绩也令人失望，但联合会依然致力于变革。

“等待本身就是一种成熟，”金说道。“人们常常在一场糟糕的比赛后就说应该解雇教练。但当你等待的时候，事情可能会有所转机。”

他表示，3x3的夺牌绝非偶然。韩国要求球员必须参加国内的韩国巡回赛才有资格入选亚运会代表队，然后通过包括国家联赛和世界杯预选赛在内的国际赛事，为运动员提供锻炼机会。

“这是一个旨在赢得金牌的项目，而不是因为各种因素自然而然地就实现了，”金说。

周五，在日本爱知-名古屋亚运会金城太平站广场，韩国女子三人篮球队在铜牌争夺战中战胜日本队后庆祝胜利。（韩联社）

赵表示，女足在世界杯征程结束后也受益于阵容的延续性，这使得主教练朴洙浩能够更好地磨合队员的节奏和配合。韩国队在半决赛对阵中国队时，并没有死板地执行预先设定的战术，而是根据对手的弱点调整了比赛策略。“她们保持了自己的风格，同时又能灵活应对，”赵说道。

但亚运会奖牌并不能掩盖结构性缺陷。金指出，女篮队员人数不足，无法进行完整的5对5训练。他还表示，韩国必须避免将亚运会视为终点，并强调，要实现2032年奥运会打入四分之一决赛的目标，就需要加大对国际赛事、球员培养和国内比赛的投入。

“这项工作并未就此结束，”金说道。“联合会和联赛需要改善球馆的氛围，这样喜欢观看国家队比赛的人也会想要关注联赛和篮球运动本身。”

周六，在日本名古屋爱知国际体育馆举行的2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会女子篮球决赛中，一名韩国球员准备投篮。照片由《韩国时报》崔元硕拍摄。

“韩国在2014年亚运会夺得金牌后，未能延续这一势头，”赵先生说。“金牌并不意味着所有任务都已完成。韩国足协和联赛需要紧密合作，男子足球必须继续探索归化途径，而女子足球则需要加强球员队伍建设。”

他接着说，韩国需要制定更长期的国际战略，包括参加更多海外表演赛和比赛机会。

“韩国男篮已经30年没能晋级奥运会了，”赵说。“在国内打友谊赛固然重要，但对于一个很少有机会接触国际篮球赛事的国家来说，出国比赛的价值更高。”