South Korea’s men’s basketball team begins its Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaign against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, September 10, opening a tournament that could mark the country’s return to the top of Asian basketball after a 12-year wait.
The Group A matchup will be played at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, with Korea entering the competition determined to reclaim the Asian Games title it last won on home soil in 2014.
The basketball tournament is getting underway unusually early: men’s 5-on-5 competition begins nine days before the official Asian Games opening ceremony on September 19. The men’s final is scheduled for September 20.
Korea Wants Back the Gold
South Korea has won the Asian Games men’s basketball gold medal four times, with its most recent championship coming at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
Since then, China captured gold in 2018, while the Philippines won the 2022 edition, which was held in Hangzhou in 2023 after being postponed. Korea’s most recent campaign ended in disappointment, with the team finishing seventh in Hangzhou.
That history has raised the stakes for the 2026 campaign.
Head coach Nikolajs Mazurs will lead a Korean squad looking to turn recent momentum into a deep tournament run.
Saudi Arabia Stands in the Way First
Korea and Saudi Arabia are both in Group A, alongside host Japan and Indonesia.
The opening matchup gives Korea an opponent it already knows well.
Before the Asian Games, Korea defeated Saudi Arabia 85-72 in the Asian qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup. That result gives the Koreans confidence, but it also means Saudi Arabia enters the rematch with a clear understanding of what it will face.
The group will provide little room for complacency.
Korea follows its Saudi Arabia opener with a game against Indonesia on September 11, before facing Japan on September 13.
Lee Hyun-jung and Yeo Jun-seok Draw Attention
Two of Korea’s biggest offensive weapons are Lee Hyun-jung and Yeo Jun-seok, whose scoring ability will be central to the team’s hopes.
Lee, who has collegiate experience in the United States and recently joined the Portland Trail Blazers on an Exhibit 10 contract, brings international experience and perimeter scoring.
Yeo, meanwhile, is playing at Seattle University after previously attending Gonzaga.
The pair were particularly effective in Korea’s earlier victory over Saudi Arabia, combining for a significant portion of the team’s offense.
Korea Is Coming In With Momentum
The team has given supporters another reason for optimism.
Korea defeated defending Asian Games champion the Philippines twice in exhibition games immediately before the tournament, winning 81-55 and 69-42.
Those results followed Korea’s earlier victory over Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying, giving the team a three-game winning streak heading into the Asian Games.
However, Korea has also shown vulnerability against Japan, losing two exhibition games to the host country in August. That makes Sunday’s Group A showdown particularly significant.
The Group-Stage Math Is Simple—but the Stakes Are High
The 12 men’s basketball teams are divided into three groups of four.
The top two teams from each group will advance directly to the quarterfinals, joined by the two best third-place teams.
That format gives teams some margin for error, but Korea will have little interest in relying on complicated calculations.
A strong start against Saudi Arabia would put the team in a much better position before facing Indonesia and Japan.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for September 16, followed by the semifinals on September 18. The bronze-medal game and championship final will take place on September 20.
The Bigger Goal: Ending the 12-Year Wait
For Korea, this tournament is about more than simply reaching the knockout stage.
The country’s last Asian Games men’s basketball gold came in 2014, creating a 12-year gap that the team now has a chance to end.
But the path is demanding.
Japan has home-court advantage. Indonesia has the potential to disrupt the group standings. And beyond Group A, teams such as China, the Philippines and Iran remain serious contenders for the medals.
Korea’s recent victories provide encouragement, but exhibition results and past wins will mean little once the competitive games begin.
The first test comes against Saudi Arabia. Win, and Korea takes an early step toward ending its long gold-medal drought. Slip up, and the pressure immediately rises with Japan waiting around the corner.
For a team chasing its first Asian Games men’s basketball title in 12 years, the comeback story starts now—but whether it ends with gold is another question entirely.
WWC ONE MEDIA G.A
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