Lee Dae-sung

Lee Dae-sung
No. 43 – Seoul Samsung Thunders
PositionGuard
LeagueKorean Basketball League
Personal information
Born (1990-05-30) May 30, 1990 (age 34)
Seoul, South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
CollegeChung-Ang University
BYU–Hawaii
KBL draft2013: 2nd round, 1st overall pick
Playing career2013–present
Career history
2013–2017Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus
2015–2017→ Sangmu (loan)
2017Erie BayHawks
2017–2019Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus
2019–2020Jeonju KCC Egis
2020–2022Goyang Orion Orions
2022–2023Daegu KOGAS Pegasus
2023–2024SeaHorses Mikawa
2024–presentSeoul Samsung Thunders
Career highlights and awards
Korean name
Hangul
이대성
Hanja
李大成
Revised RomanizationI Dae-seong
McCune–ReischauerRi Taesŏng

Lee Dae-sung (born 30 May 1990) is a South Korean professional basketball player.[1] He plays for Seoul Samsung Thunders in the Korean Basketball League and the South Korean national team.[2]

Early life

Lee is a graduate of Samil Commercial High School, one of the province's most notable high school basketball programs. One of his contemporaries was Kim Min-goo, a year his junior, and they led the team to win the 2008 National High School Basketball Championship. He was named tournament MVP and won the Best Defensive Player award.[3]

College career

Lee went on to Chung-Ang University where he was roommates with Kim Sun-hyung, his future national teammate.[4] In January 2012, he transferred to Brigham Young University–Hawaii as a junior in hopes of entering the NBA[5] and spent the 2012–13 season playing for the Seasiders in the NCAA Division II, averaging 5 points and 2 assists.[6] He later admitted that the decision to go to the United States was also partly motivated by his desire to escape the strict hierarchical culture of Korean college basketball.[5]

Professional career

Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus and Erie BayHawks (2013–2019)

Lee returned to South Korea to begin his professional career. He was drafted first in the second round of the 2013 rookie draft by Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus.[7] With veteran stalwart Yang Dong-geun already in his mid-thirties, Lee was given considerably more playing time, compared to other first-year rookies that season, as Mobis Phoebus won the championship.[8]

Lee enlisted for mandatory military service in April 2015 and joined the Sangmu team after completing basic training.[9][10] He was discharged in January 2017.

Lee joined the 2017 NBA G League draft and was picked by Erie BayHawks.[11] He averaged 2.5 points 0.9 rebounds and 1.1assists.[12][13]

Lee recorded 14.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in the 2018-19 KBL season for Mobis Phoebus, winning both the championship and the regular season title. During the play-offs, he averaged 16.2 points and 3.6 assists and was named play-offs MVP.[14] He also took part in the qualification of the team to the 2019 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Bangkok and averaged 4.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4 assists at the championship.[15][16][17]

Jeonju KCC Egis (2019–2020)

With one year still left on his contract, Lee and teammate Ra Gun-ah joined Jeonju KCC Egis in a trade for four other players ahead of the 2019–20 season.[18][19] He was unable to replicate his form from the previous season and was released as a free agent.

Goyang Orion Orions (2020–2022)

Lee nearly signed with Busan KT Sonicboom but joined Goyang Orion Orions after contract negotiations broke down.[20] After a strong performance in the pre-season KBL Cup competition, he quickly established himself as a mainstay in his new team. In the October game against his former team Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, he put up a career-best 34 points, scoring 14 out of 15 free throws.[21] He was voted into the KBL Best 5 for the first time in his career.[22] As his wife was about to give birth, he did not attend the awards ceremony and his Orion teammate Heo Il-young received the award on his behalf.[23]

During the 2021–22 season, Lee was paired together with rookie guard Lee Jung-hyun. The backcourt pairing played a major role in the Orions qualifying for the playoffs and defeating Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus to advance to the semi-finals for the first time in five years; unfortunately they were defeated by eventual champions Seoul SK Knights.[24][25] The younger Lee would be nominated for the Rookie of the Year award while Lee Dae-sung himself finished the season as the top-scoring domestic player and was voted into the KBL Best 5 for a second consecutive time. He scored 20 or more points in 18 games during the regular season, only behind Wonju DB Promy shooting guard Heo Ung; it was the first time since the 2010–11 season any domestic player has scored 20 or more points in this many games.[26]

Daegu KOGAS Pegasus (2022–2023)

With the Orions facing uncertainty due to its ownership pulling out, Lee decided not to see out his contract and signed with Daegu KOGAS Pegasus.[27][28][26]

SeaHorses Mikawa(2023-present)

On July 5, 2023, Lee signed with SeaHorses Mikawa of the Japanese B.League.[29]

National team career

Lee was first called up to the senior national team in 2017. The presence of veterans Lee Jung-hyun, Kim Sun-hyung and Park Chan-hee and emergence of Heo Hoon and Kim Nak-hyeon relegated him to the reserves but his versatility in both guard positions made him valuable as a back-up option. After participating in the qualifiers, he made the final 12-man squad for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup where he averaged 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1.3 assist at the tournament.[30]

With the older players from the 2019 World Cup retiring from the national team, Lee played a bigger role in the national team. He was named in the preliminary squad for the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup and made the final 12-man team.[31][32] Under new coach Choo Il-seung's fast-paced offense, Lee rotated with Heo as the team's main ballhandler to great effect. Heo's injury during training and the latter's older brother Heo Ung contracting COVID-19 left Lee as the only available guard on the roster ahead of the quarterfinal against New Zealand.[33] During the third quarter of the game, he was ejected after being whistled for his second technical foul; with stretch four Choi Jun-yong also ejected for accumulated fouls, South Korea was forced to play the rest of the game without any guards or main ballhandlers and lost to the Tall Blacks at the last minute.[34][35]

Personal life

Lee married his university sweetheart Son Geun-hye in May 2019 after a nine-year courtship.[36][37] Their daughter was born in April 2021.[38]

References

  1. ^ "Daesung LEE at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019". FIBA.basketball.
  2. ^ "Dae-Sung Lee Basketball Player Profile, KCC Egis, BYU-Hawaii, News, KBL stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - asia-basket". Eurobasket LLC.
  3. ^ "수원 삼일상고, 우승 '덩크슛'". Kyeonggi Ilbo (in Korean). 16 April 2008.
  4. ^ "김선형 동문(사회체육학부 07학번)". Chung-Ang University News (ChungDae Shinmun) (in Korean). Chung-Ang University. 4 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b "이대성, NBA 진출 꿈꾸는 신인". Chung-Ang University News (ChungDae Shinmun) (in Korean). Chung-Ang University. 2 April 2012.
  6. ^ "Dae Sung Lee Biography". ESPN.
  7. ^ "일반인 이대성, KBL 신인 드래프트서 모비스 유니폼 '화제'". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 30 September 2013.
  8. ^ "모비스 이대성 "신인왕 안돼도 좋지만..."". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 26 January 2014.
  9. ^ "김시래-이대성-차바위 등 10명, 27일 상무 입대". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 17 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Lee gets the leeway to play ball Lee's way". Korea JoongAng Daily. 23 April 2019.
  11. ^ "이대성, NBA 하부리그 G리그 진출…드래프트 20순위 지명". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 22 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Daesung Lee". NBA G League.
  13. ^ "Daesung Lee, Basketball Player". Proballers.
  14. ^ "명마로 거듭난 야생마 이대성…MVP 이어 결혼까지 골인". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 23 April 2019.
  15. ^ "Daesung LEE at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2019". FIBA.basketball.
  16. ^ "Will KBL Finals return for Ulsan Mobis and Lee Dae-Sung lead to FIBA Asia Champions Cup berth?". FIBA. 10 April 2019.
  17. ^ "Multiple MVP winners Yang Donggeun, Ra Guna banner Hyundai Mobis' roster headed for Thailand". FIBA. 23 September 2019.
  18. ^ "이대성·라건아, 어제까진 현대모비스 내일부터 KCC". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 11 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Dae Sung Lee Player Profile, Erie BayHawks, NCAA Stats, G League Stats, International Stats, Events Stats, Game Logs, Bests, Awards - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com.
  20. ^ "고양 오리온스 프로농구, 우승 느낌 팍 온다!". Goyang Ilbo (in Korean). 7 October 2020.
  21. ^ "오리온 이대성, 34점 이끈 자유투 14개 비결은 아내의 태교". Jumpball (in Korean). 18 October 2020.
  22. ^ "2020-2021 현대모비스 프로농구 시상식 결과 안내" (in Korean). Korean Basketball League. 7 April 2021.
  23. ^ "오리온 이대성, 시상식·미디어데이 모두 불참 이유는". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 8 April 2021.
  24. ^ "이정현이 끌고, 이대성이 마무리한 3차전…3연승 오리온, 5년 만에 4강 PO 진출". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 13 April 2022.
  25. ^ "'이정현+이대성 36점' 오리온, 2연패 끝.. LG 3연패 '8위로'". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 7 March 2022.
  26. ^ a b "기자회견 그 후, 이대성이 못 다한 이야기". Jumpball (in Korean). 12 June 2022.
  27. ^ "가스공사 유니폼 입은 이대성 "이적을 우승 기회로"". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 10 June 2022.
  28. ^ "한국가스공사의 환영 받은 이대성, "내 모든 에너지를 다 쏟겠다"". BasketKorea (in Korean). 10 June 2022.
  29. ^ "選手加入のお知らせ(イ・デソン選手)" (in Japanese). SeaHorses Mikawa. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  30. ^ "Daesung LEE at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019". FIBA.basketball.
  31. ^ "농구대표팀, FIBA 아시아컵 최종 명단 확정…'해외 진출' 여준석 제외". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 20 June 2022.
  32. ^ "남자농구 아시아컵 최종 엔트리…여준석 대신 이우석 합류". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 20 June 2022.
  33. ^ "농구 대표팀 추일승 감독 "허웅 계속 양성…허훈 부상도 걱정"". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 22 July 2022.
  34. ^ "Tall Blacks Earn Hard-Fought Asia Cup Win Over Korea". Basketball New Zealand. 22 July 2022.
  35. ^ "'8강 탈락' 충격패‥"이대성·최준용, 냉정하지 못했다"" (in Korean). MBC. 22 July 2022.
  36. ^ "이대성 예비신부, "첫 고백도 '대시'처럼 했어요"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 24 April 2019.
  37. ^ "신혼여행 중에도 매일 혼자 체력훈련하다 부상… 못 말리는 내 신랑". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 28 May 2019.
  38. ^ "[KBL PO] 살아난 이대성 "딸이 아빠가 더 뛰는걸 원하지 않을까요"". Jumpball (in Korean). 14 April 2021.