South Korea National Basketball Team
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The South Korea men's national basketball team represents
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
in international men's
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
competitions. It is administered by the
Korea Basketball Association The Korea Basketball Association (KBA; ko, 대한농구협회) is the governing body of basketball in South Korea. Formed in 1925, it is based in Seoul. The KBA is a member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and FIBA Asia. The cur ...
(). Based on the number of overall medals won, South Korea is a major force among basketball teams of
FIBA Asia FIBA Asia is a zone within the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) which contains all 44 Asian FIBA federations. Member associations Tournaments Organized by FIBA Asia National teams * FIBA Asia Cup – since 2017, also inclu ...
. The team has won a record number of 24 medals at the
FIBA Asia Championship The FIBA Asia Cup (formerly the FIBA Asia Championship and ABC Championship) is an international basketball tournament which takes place every four years between the men's national teams of Asia and Oceania. Through the 2015 edition, the tourna ...
. Furthermore, South Korea is the only nation that has qualified for this event every year since it was first held in
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
.


History


Initiation (1947–1951)

In 1947, two years after the establishment of the
People's Republic of Korea The People's Republic of Korea (PRK) was a short-lived provisional government that was organized at the time of the surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of World War II. It was proclaimed on 6 September 1945, as Korea was being divided ...
, the
Korea Basketball Association The Korea Basketball Association (KBA; ko, 대한농구협회) is the governing body of basketball in South Korea. Formed in 1925, it is based in Seoul. The KBA is a member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and FIBA Asia. The cur ...
joined the International Federation of Basketball (FIBA) and sent its national teams to
FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...
-sponsored events. Only one year later, the team already celebrated its first major accomplishment at the
1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...
, when it finished 8th, better than any other Asian nation, and ahead of teams such as
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, and
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.


Steady improvements (1952–1968)

At the 1954 Asian Games, for the first time ever, South Korea finished in the ''Final Four'' of a major international basketball tournament in Asia. The team slowly improved its position within Asia almost every year and qualified for the Basketball World Cup several times.


Golden years (1969–1970)

In 1969 and 1970, the team enjoyed a brief period to shine, when it won the 1969 Asian Championship and the
1970 Asian Games The 6th Asian Games () were held from 9 to 20 December 1970 in Bangkok, Thailand.- - Seoul, South Korea, had been selected to host the 6th Games but it declined due to both financial reasons and security threats from neighboring North Korea. (T ...
and ultimately qualified for the
1970 FIBA World Championship The 1970 FIBA World Championship was the 6th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. It was hosted by Yugoslavia in Sarajevo, Split, Karlovac, Skopje and Ljubljana, from 10 to 24 May 1970. It was ...
. As the only Asian team that had remained in the championship, South Korea finished ahead of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
(champion of
FIBA Oceania The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...
) and
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
(champion of
FIBA Africa FIBA Africa is a zone within the FIBA basketball association which contains all 54 national African FIBA federations. It was founded in 1961. FIBA Africa maintains offices in Cairo and in Abidjan. Members FIBA World Rankings Overview ...
) and showed its best performance ever at this event. Korea's Shin Dong-Pa dominated all scorers at the 1970 FIBA World Cup as he averaged 32.6 points per game, almost 13 points more than the runner up, Davis Peralta, from
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
.


Asian elite position behind China (1971–2007)

At the
Asian Championship An Asian Championship is a top level international sports competition between Asian athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. List of Championships (Summer Olympic Sports) ;Aquatics * Asia ...
, South Korea stayed among the top three teams at 21 straight events, a record that is still unmatched until today. At the
1996 Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
,
Hyun Joo-Yup Hyun Joo-yup (alternate spellings: Hyeon, Joo-yeop, Joo-yeob, Ju-yeop, Ju-yeob; ; born 27 July 1975) is a South Korean former professional basketball player and head coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time in th ...
averaged 16.6 points through the entire tournament. At the 2005 FIBA Asia Championship, South Korea's medal-winning streak finally ended when they lost to
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
at the 3rd place game . Between 1975 and 2005, South Korea was the only nation besides the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
that was able to seriously challenge
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
's dominance. It interrupted China's championship winning streak in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, when it defeated its dominant neighbor in the semifinals and ultimately won the crown as 1997 Champion of Asia. At the
2007 FIBA Asia Championship The 2007 FIBA Asia Championship for Men was the qualifying tournament for FIBA Asia at the men's basketball tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing. The tournament was held in Tokushima, Japan from July 28 to August 5, 2007. Particip ...
, South Korea was able to go on a streak, and won the first 5 games. Because of the "four centers"
Ha Seung-jin Ha Seung-Jin (born August 4, 1985) is a South Korean former professional basketball player who has played in the NBA and the NBA D-League. He was a second round draft pick (46th overall) of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2004 NBA Draft. At 7 ...
(221 cm), Kim Joo-sung (205 cm), Lee Dong-jun (202 cm), and Kim Min-soo (200 cm), South Korea had the tournament's highest 2-point field goal percentage (61%). South Korea was also a team that had a strong back court with Kim Seung-hyun (179 cm),
Yang Dong-geun Yang Dong-geun (; born June 1, 1979) or YDG is a South Korean actor, rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and breakdancer. Yang majored in Theatrical Performance at Yong-In University. Biography Yang enlisted for mandatory military se ...
(182 cm), Kim Dong-woo (198 cm), and
Choi Jin-soo Choi Jin-soo (Korean language, Korean: 최진수, formerly known as Jin Soo Kim; born 11 May 1989) is a South Korean basketball player who played for University of Maryland, College Park and the Korea national basketball team. He is the first S ...
(205 cm), who guaranteed that the team was in the tournaments top-3 in free throw percentage (70.6) and assists per game (11.5). All these players helped their team to win the bronze medal once again.


Emergence of West Asian competition (2008–2018)

In the modern era, South Korea's competition from West Asia intensified as countries such as
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
, and especially
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
improved their basketball programs. South Korea is still considered one of Asia's major teams but its position among the top three teams in Asia is not guaranteed anymore. In 2014, the team qualified for the Basketball World Cup for the first time in almost 20 years. Even though the team was eliminated in the first round, the qualification itself has been a success and provided much needed global exposure. Most of the players that played at the 2014 World Cup returned for the
2014 Asian Games The 2014 Asian Games ( ko, 2014년 아시아 경기대회/2014년 아시안 게임, Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the 17th Asian Games ( ko, 제17회 아시아 경기대회/제17회 ...
where they helped secure the gold medal on home soil. Former
Jeonju KCC Egis The Jeonju KCC Egis is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League. Current roster Enlisted players Honours Domestic Korean Basketball League *KBL Championship :: Winners (5): 1997–98, 1998– ...
manager
Hur Jae Hur Jae (born September 28, 1965) is a South Korean retired basketball coach and former player. His playing and coaching career combined spanned over three decades, beginning during the semi-professional era and coinciding with the establishmen ...
took over as the national team coach in 2016. They reached the play-offs of the
2017 FIBA Asia Cup The 2017 FIBA Asia Cup (formerly known as the FIBA Asia Championship) was the 29th continental basketball championship in Asia. The tournament was organised by FIBA Asia. It took place from 8 to 20 August 2017, a week earlier from the initial sche ...
and won the bronze medal. At the
2018 Asian Games The 2018 Asian Games ( id, Pesta Olahraga Asia 2018 or ''Asian Games 2018''), officially known as the 18th Asian Games and also known as Jakarta-Palembang 2018 or Indonesia 2018, was a Asia, continental multi-sport event that was held from 18 A ...
, South Korea was unable to defend their tournament gold medal due to the loss of key players to injuries. The public outcry, coupled by accusations that Hur had showed favoritism by selecting both his sons into the national team, prompted Hur to resign in September. Hur's former assistant Kim Sang-shik took over as the new coach.


2019 FIBA World Cup and generational change (2019–present)

Under Kim Sang-shik, the South Korean team secured their place at the
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019, becoming the first since 1967 FIBA World Ch ...
. Kim also began introducing younger players into the squad on a more regular basis. However, Kim decided on a more experienced squad, with half the players selected aged 30 and above and
Heo Hoon Heo Hoon (born 16 August 1995) is a South Korean professional basketball player. He currently plays for Suwon KT Sonicboom in the Korean Basketball League and the South Korean national team. Early life Heo enjoyed playing various sports from ...
being the youngest player at 24. South Korea struggled with injury problems to key players during the tournament but ended their losing streak at the World Cup. They recorded their first win at the World Cup in 25 years by winning their last game of the tournament, a 80-71 win over
the Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
. More signs of a "generational change" were visible as Kim called-up a squad composed only of players born in the 1990's for a 2022 FIBA Asia Cup qualifier against Indonesia. However, the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
disrupted much of 2020 as the closing of international borders and government-mandated quarantine regulations discouraged KBL teams from releasing valuable players to the national team, prompting a conflict between the
Korean Basketball League The Korean Basketball League (KBL; ) is a professional men's basketball league in South Korea which was established in 1997. The league consists of ten teams and each team plays a total of 54 games (27 home and 27 away) in the regular season. H ...
(KBL) and the
Korean Basketball Association The Korea Basketball Association (KBA; ko, 대한농구협회) is the governing body of basketball in South Korea. Formed in 1925, it is based in Seoul. The KBA is a member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and FIBA Asia. The cur ...
(KBA). Kim resigned in late January 2021, citing his frustration over being caught in between the KBL and KBA and the failure of all parties to come to a resolution.
Cho Sang-hyun Cho Sang-Hyun (; born 8 July 1976) is a South Korean professional basketball coach and retired player formerly with the Korean KBL team Changwon LG Sakers. He represented South Korea's national basketball team on many occasions. He played th ...
took over in September 2021 and is expected to remain in charge until the
2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be the 19th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament will be the second to feature 32 teams. For the first time in its history, the World Cup will be ...
. In preparation of South Korea's participation in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers, a two-week break from the regular season was scheduled in February 2022 for the national team call-ups. The Korean Basketball League was hit by the coronavirus as early as December 2021, with
Changwon LG Sakers Changwon LG Sakers are a basketball team located in the city of Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. They play in the Korean Basketball League, and their home arena is Changwon Gymnasium which has a capacity for approximately 6,000 ...
reporting their first case within the team. At the end of January 2022, KBL even made their first-ever match postponement due to the coronavirus, as multiple positive cases were reported in
Seoul Samsung Thunders Seoul Samsung Thunders ( ko, 서울 삼성 썬더스) is a professional basketball team, competing in the Korean Basketball League. Ever since the club was founded in 1978, they have been associated with Samsung Electronics. Initially based in ...
. Although stringent testing requirements and quarantine rules were implemented by KBL, it failed to lower the number of infections in the league. In February 2022, a massive outbreak occurred as many teams reported positive cases among their players and staff within a span of two weeks. Some teams could not field their main players as they were infected. Even so, KBL carried on with the scheduled matches as long as the participating teams could fill up the roster. Some players eventually took to social media to express their frustration publicly over the forced commencement of the league and lack of concern towards the wellbeing of the players. On the next day, KBL announced a suspension of the season for two weeks by postponing all remaining matches scheduled in February to a later date. The national basketball team took a major hit as most of the players on the preliminary roster submitted to FIBA at an earlier date, were infected by the coronavirus. Despite Cho's efforts of putting together a new roster, a player from the renewed roster was tested positive right before they depart to the Philippines on February 22. As a result, South Korea pulled out of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers and was eventually disqualified. South Korea did try to appeal that decision, but it was rejected by FIBA. Hence, South Korea's appearance in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the
2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 2024), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la XXXIIIe Olympiade, links=no) and also known as Paris 2024, is an upcoming international multi-sport event that is s ...
is unclear as of now. On April 29, 2022, Cho was announced as the new head coach of
Changwon LG Sakers Changwon LG Sakers are a basketball team located in the city of Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. They play in the Korean Basketball League, and their home arena is Changwon Gymnasium which has a capacity for approximately 6,000 ...
, and terminated his contract as the national team's head coach. After an open recruitment of a new head coach by the
Korean Basketball Association The Korea Basketball Association (KBA; ko, 대한농구협회) is the governing body of basketball in South Korea. Formed in 1925, it is based in Seoul. The KBA is a member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and FIBA Asia. The cur ...
, Choo Il-seung, previously a head coach for
Goyang Orion Orions Goyang Carrot Jumpers (Korean: 고양 캐롯 점퍼스) is a professional basketball club based in Goyang, South Korea which plays in the Korean Basketball League. Before the change of ownership in 2022, they were called Orions. History Dayo ...
was chosen to lead the men's national basketball team effective May 19, 2022.


Competitions


Olympic Games


FIBA World Cup


Asian Games


FIBA Asia Cup


East Asian Games


East Asia Basketball Championship


FIBA Asia Challenge


William Jones Cup


Team


Current roster

Tournament:
2022 FIBA Asia Cup The 2022 FIBA Asia Cup (formerly known as the FIBA Asia Championship) will be the 30th continental basketball championship in Asia. The tournament is organised by FIBA Asia. Originally intended to be the 2021 edition, the tournament was initiall ...
(July 12, 2022 – July 24, 2022)


Past rosters

1970 World Championship: finished 11th among 13 teams Shin Dong-pa, Lee In-pyo, Kim In-kun, Kim Young-il, Park Han, Choi Jong-kyu, Yoo Hee-hyung, Lee Byung-koo, Yoo Jung-kun, Lee Ja-young, Shin Hyun-soo, Kwak Hyun-chae (Coach: Kim Young-ki) 1978 World Championship: finished 13th among 14 teams Kim In-Jin, Kim Pyung-Man, Jung Young-Soo, Jang Bong-Hak, Park Sang-Ung, Park Soo-Kyo, Kim Sang-Chun, Kim Hyung-Nyun, Kim Dong-Kwang, Koo Jong-Hoo, Lee Mun-Kyu, Choi Bu-Young (Coach: Kim Moo-Hyung) 1986 World Championship: finished 22nd among 24 teams
Hur Jae Hur Jae (born September 28, 1965) is a South Korean retired basketball coach and former player. His playing and coaching career combined spanned over three decades, beginning during the semi-professional era and coinciding with the establishmen ...
, Park In-kyu, Lee Min-hyun, Cho Yoon-ho, Han Ki-bum, Lee Mun-kyu,
Kim Hyun-jun Kim Hyun-jun (Hangul: 김현준; June 3, 1960 – October 2, 1999) was a South Korean basketball player. He played as a shooting guard. He was 182 cm (5 ft 11.75 in) tall. He competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, where the Sout ...
, Kim You-taek, Kim Sung-wook,
Lee Won-woo Lee Won-Woo (Hangul: 이원우, August 19, 1958 – May 24, 2004) was a South Korean basketball player. He played as a shooting guard. He is 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) tall. He competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, where the South Korean ...
, Lee Chung-hee, Goh Myong-hwa (Coach: Kim In-kun)


Head coaches

*
Jung Sang-yun Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...
(1948) * Kim Young-ki (1970) * Bang Yeol (1982–1983) * Choi Bu-young (2006–2007) *
Hur Jae Hur Jae (born September 28, 1965) is a South Korean retired basketball coach and former player. His playing and coaching career combined spanned over three decades, beginning during the semi-professional era and coinciding with the establishmen ...
(2008–2009) * Yoo Jae-hak (2010–2014) * Kim Dong-gwang (2015) *
Hur Jae Hur Jae (born September 28, 1965) is a South Korean retired basketball coach and former player. His playing and coaching career combined spanned over three decades, beginning during the semi-professional era and coinciding with the establishmen ...
(2016–2018) *
Kim Sang-sik Kim Sang-sik (born 17 December 1976) is a South Korean Association football, football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of K League 1 club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. During his playing career, he played for South Korea natio ...
(2018–2021) *
Cho Sang-hyun Cho Sang-Hyun (; born 8 July 1976) is a South Korean professional basketball coach and retired player formerly with the Korean KBL team Changwon LG Sakers. He represented South Korea's national basketball team on many occasions. He played th ...
(2021–2022) * Choo Il-seung (2022–present)


Kit


Manufacturer

2016-present:
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
Korea - FIBA Asia Challenge 2016
FIBA.com, Retrieved 17 October 2016.


Sponsor

* 2016-2017:
Hana Financial Group Hana Financial Group Inc. () is a financial holding company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. History Hana Financial Group was established as Hana Bank's transition to a holding company. In 2005, Hana Bank was delisted and incorporated into ...
* 2018-present:
KB Kookmin Bank Kookmin Bank or KB Kookmin Bank () is among four of the largest banks ranked by asset value in South Korea, as of the end of March 2014. It is the largest among banks in Korea and the 60th largest in the world as of 2017. History The current KB ...


See also

*
South Korea women's national basketball team The South Korea women's national basketball team is administered by the Korea Basketball Association (). History Team South Korea’s greatest success was at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games, when they took silver.South Korea national under-19 basketball team The Korea national under-19 basketball team represents South Korea in international basketball competitions. It is governed by the Korea Basketball Association (KBA). It represents the country in international under-19 and under-18 (under age 19 a ...
*
South Korea national under-17 basketball team The Korea national under-17 basketball team represents South Korea in international basketball competitions. It is governed by the Korea Basketball Association (KBA). It represents the country in international under-17 and under-16 (under age 17 a ...
*
South Korea national 3x3 team South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...


References


External links


Official websiteFIBA profile

Asia-Basket.com
at FIBA Archive


Videos


Korea v Iraq - Semi-Final Highlights - FIBA Asia Challenge 2016
YouTube.com video {{National sports teams of South Korea 1947 establishments in South Korea Basketball in South Korea Men's national basketball teams South Korea national basketball team