The Double Clutch That Shook a Nation
The arena erupted as the announcer's voice cracked with raw excitement.
DOUBLE CLUTCH! He changed his motion in mid-air, drew the foul, and slammed it home with a two-handed dunk!
The caster pumped his fist, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Lee Seo-jun just defied gravity! It's 5-0! Our national team takes the lead right from the opening tip!
The co-caster let out a warm laugh.
Haha, defied gravity… I don't think I could describe what we just saw any better than that.
The broadcast booth was in complete chaos. It didn't matter which of the three major networks was on air. The dunk had been that shocking. It was the first time anyone had ever seen a play like that in a national team game.
“What the hell was that?”
“Whoa… that guy just flew.”
“He's insane…”
The crowd muttered in stunned disbelief.
Even the internet chat, which had lagged for a moment, exploded like a waterfall of reactions.
While the praise poured in like a tidal wave, Seo-jun himself clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
I'm still so far from where I need to be.
The double clutch dunk had explosive flair, but it wasn't the smartest choice. The highest-percentage play would have been a double-clutch layup. Dunks were risky—if the timing was even a fraction off, the ball would get swatted. He'd gone for the dunk because he believed he could finish it, but deep down it was because he lacked confidence in the layup.
Whew. Don't dwell on it. Today is about enjoying my national team debut. Just enjoy it!
But when the extra free throw clanged off the rim, Seo-jun's competitive fire ignited for real.
His free-throw percentage had dipped slightly while he reworked his mechanics, but still…
Korver's watching, and I miss?
Seo-jun clenched his teeth so hard they creaked. The flames burning in his eyes weren't directed at the Filipino players. It was pure self-flagellation, a burning desire to punish himself for the mistake.
“Su-bin! Keep running the two-man game. Move without the ball, be active. And Joo-sung hyung! Their center is playing drop coverage in the paint, so just step out and set screens for me. We'll create open looks off that. The rest of you seniors, when Su-bin and I adjust our spacing, please cut and move quickly. Got it?”
It was an audacious demand coming from the youngest player on the floor, directed at veterans who had been in the game for years. Su-bin felt his stomach drop.
This was exactly how Seo-jun had operated back in Serbia. There, he'd been a core leader alongside Micic and Jokic. But that had been overseas. In Korea, where age-based hierarchy ran deep, this kind of direct leadership could easily spark backlash.
Sure enough, point guard Heo Seung-won and power forward Im Ju-chan both twisted their faces, ready to snap back—until the team's captain and eldest, center Choi Joo-sung, stepped in.
“Got it. We'll do it that way. Seung-won, Ju-chan, follow Seo-jun's lead!”
Once the captain spoke, the other two reluctantly fell in line, even if they weren't happy about it.
On the next possession, the Philippines hit a mid-range jumper to make it 5-2. Seo-jun, standing next to Su-bin who had the ball, raised his voice and began directing traffic.
“Seung-won sunbae, get deeper into the right corner! Ju-chan sunbae, stay put!”
With the two veterans stationed in opposite corners, Seo-jun took the ball himself and used Choi Joo-sung's screen. The opposing center, Fajardo, was planted deep in the paint in drop coverage. The screen gave Seo-jun an instant window of space. From there he could choose between a jump shot or an attack on the rim.
Seo-jun chose the drive.
Fajardo, of course, tried to contest, but Seo-jun didn't care. He barreled straight at him.
You think you can stop me after that foul call earlier?
One more foul and Fajardo would be in serious foul trouble and headed to the bench. That meant he couldn't play as aggressively as before. Seo-jun powered through the half-hearted contest and laid the ball up off the glass.
Thud. Swish. The ball kissed the backboard and dropped through the net. Seven points for Seo-jun already.
His relentless rim attacks were becoming a major headache for the Philippines. Head coach Reyes rubbed his palms over his mouth nervously.
He's trying to break Fajardo's rim protection head-on. But if I pull the drop coverage, he'll just attack even harder…
There was only one solution. Help defense had to come from the players in the short corners.
But the moment that help defender left his man—
Whoosh! Seo-jun whipped a kick-out pass to the now-open corner shooter. His eyes said it all.
Make it.
Heo Seung-won rose up and drained the corner three.
Then, as the miss came off the next Philippine possession, Seo-jun battled the 7'1" Fajardo for boxing-out position, barely winning the leverage. He snatched the defensive rebound cleanly.
“Ugh!?”
“What the hell is this guy…!”
Fajardo and Alapag immediately tried to double-team him. But Seo-jun felt the pressure from behind and the corner of his mouth curled up.
Thump! He threw a bounce-back pass toward his right side. Su-bin, who had cut hard, snatched it, took one dribble, and rose up before Fajardo could recover. One-handed slam.
Boom!
The arena lost its mind. Seo-jun grinned.
“You dunking? That's new.”
“I'm feeling it today too.”
Clap!
“Then let's pick up the tempo.”
“Yeah.”
The Serbian duo began to run wild. Their destructive power was beyond imagination.
There were always people who wondered: What if LeBron James had been born in Asia? Could Asian players possibly contain his offensive and defensive dominance?
Seo-jun's current play seemed to offer a glimpse of the answer.
It wasn't that Seo-jun was at LeBron's level yet, but his efficiency and decision-making were frighteningly close. And it made sense. The Philippines simply couldn't stop the core of LeBron-style basketball—the relentless drive.
Seo-jun was burying them with a single pattern: drive and finish, or drive and kick.
Lee Seo-jun drives again! Jeff Chan rotates for help defense… Lee Seo-jun kicks it out! Shin Su-bin for the open three—!
Swish!
Nothing but net! Shin Su-bin's third three-pointer! The score is now 44-24!
With five minutes left in the second quarter, the lead had ballooned to twenty points. In that span, Seo-jun had 18 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Su-bin added 11 points and 3 assists. Together they had produced 29 points. The fight had completely drained from the Filipino players' faces.
Basketball fans were left speechless by the sheer overwhelming force on display.
Seo-jun was producing at an absurdly high level of efficiency. Fans, the SBC broadcast team, and even the NTBC crew were showering him with praise.
The only exception was the KBC broadcast team. Their guest commentator, Seo Jung-hoon, had been criticizing Seo-jun's play since the first quarter.
He was a legendary Korean center who had left an indelible mark on the sport's history.
This… this isn't good. Lee Seo-jun is doing things he absolutely shouldn't be doing right now.
What exactly do you mean by plays he shouldn't be doing?
Their center is waiting in the paint. He's just charging straight into a 7'1" big man. This… really, this shouldn't be happening. It shouldn't… but he's converting every single one of them, so I don't even know what to say anymore…
And then Seo-jun did it again. He came off a screen, attacked the rim, and challenged Fajardo once more. This time his original defender, Ocampo, avoided the screen entirely and backpedaled to create a 2-on-1 situation. Seo-jun didn't hesitate. He attacked as if daring them to stop him.
He came to a sudden stop in front of Fajardo, then used a series of quick pivot moves—squeak, squeak—to momentarily shed both defenders before floating a soft floater over their outstretched hands.
Swish.
It goes in again! His 20th point! Was that a layup?
That's called a floater. He showed excellent body control to get it up there so cleanly.
Commissioner Seo Jung-hoon, what do you think?
Seo Jung-hoon let out a deep sigh.
Even now… this is the kind of play that really shouldn't be done. Lee Seo-jun is simply playing on pure confidence. He's deciding that even with a center waiting in the paint, they either have to foul him or they can't stop him. So he just attacks.
But isn't it producing good results?
Exactly. He's putting all their bigs into foul trouble and chasing them off the floor, so I really have nothing to say…
Seo Jung-hoon wasn't blind to how the national sentiment was shifting. But he couldn't bend his basketball philosophy just to ride the wave of popularity.
This pattern might work now, but against stronger teams or better centers later on, it could get shut down. You can't rely on a single pattern. And insisting on this style of attack while forcing the rest of the team into awkward tactical roles will have negative long-term effects. Look at it. Our best domestic center, Choi Joo-sung, is only setting screens. Heo Seung-won and Im Ju-chan are just standing in the corners as decoys.
I see.
This is classic American-style basketball. The first and second options run the offense while the rest of the players act as role players supporting them. But that doesn't mesh well with Korea's traditional passing game.
That's right. From what I understand, Coach Lee Jae-hak prefers a more fluid, organic passing offense.
Exactly. Jae-hak hyung has even said there's nothing to learn from American basketball. He prefers the European style. That's why I talked to him before the tournament. He holds both Lee Seo-jun and Shin Su-bin in extremely high regard. He believes that because these two played in Europe, they understand that kind of system basketball very well. That's why he tested Su-bin right away and, despite being the youngest, put him straight into the starting lineup, right?
So that's why.
Yes. But now Lee Seo-jun is playing pure American-style basketball instead of European. I imagine Coach Jae-hak feels like he just got punched in the face.
In reality, Coach Lee Jae-hak didn't like this style of basketball at all. Even though they were winning comfortably, his expression remained stiff.
But Coach Lee Jae-hak hasn't made any adjustments. They're running the exact same sets in the second quarter.
How do you change it? He's single-handedly chasing their bigs off the floor and destroying them. So even though he doesn't like it, the results are there, so he's just watching for now.
Surprisingly, Seo Jung-hoon's blunt commentary ended up driving massive viewership for KBC. The PD urged him to keep going, but Jung-hoon got visibly irritated.
No! It's not that I dislike Lee Seo-jun at all! Especially his defense right now—I could edit a three-hour highlight reel praising just that. Look at how comfortable Joo-sung is playing defense. Seo-jun is boxing out with him, making it hard on the opposing center, helping on additional drivers, and even setting the tempo for fast breaks himself. His defense is truly outstanding. There's nothing to criticize. I'm sure Coach Lee Jae-hak feels the same. It's just his offensive approach… ha…
Jung-hoon sighed heavily.
Then, with four minutes left in the second quarter, Seo-jun and Su-bin headed to the bench. The Philippines immediately began a fierce comeback.
Ah… it goes in again. Jimmy Alapag hits another three. The Philippines just went on a 9-0 run. The second quarter ends with the score 56-45. While the starters rested, the Philippines closed the gap dramatically.
It's because the Philippines aren't a weak team. The difference with and without Lee Seo-jun on the floor defensively is huge.
Haha, Commissioner Seo, I thought you didn't like Lee Seo-jun?
I keep telling you that's not it! I like Seo-jun! His defense is the best! The absolute best! I just wish his offensive decision-making was a little smarter, that's all.
KBC's ratings exploded. The PD screamed with joy.
The third quarter began. Determined to restore the lead quickly, Seo-jun raised the tempo from the opening possessions.
Lee Seo-jun drives again!
The Philippines, having been burned repeatedly, were now defending more intelligently. Yet Seo-jun's efficiency barely dropped. Thud. Swish. Another layup. Then another. And another. After six straight points, Seo Jung-hoon’s face twisted in frustration.
Lee Seo-jun is attacking the paint even more aggressively!
Who was it that said something at halftime? Was it me? It feels like he's doing this on purpose just to prove me wrong, doesn't it?
Haha, surely not… Oh! Lee Seo-jun with the block! He denies Alapag's layup!
His defense is really, really, really good…
With 5:20 left in the third quarter, Seo-jun stared down the opposing center. On the surface his plays looked reckless, but there was a clear strategic plan behind them. He'd known it from before the game even started.
If we can get that guy Fajardo out of the game, we'll be able to win comfortably even without me on the floor.
That was why he kept attacking the rim. Sooner or later, Fajardo would either foul out or become so foul-conscious that he couldn't defend properly. One of the two would happen.
I want to get him to four fouls soon.
Seo-jun went in with clear intent this time. Previously he'd tried to finish from the side to increase his chances of making the layup. This time was different.
Seeing that Fajardo had one foot in the no-charge zone, Seo-jun drove straight at his chest. Fajardo braced himself. At the same time, Jeff Chan in the right corner began to rotate over for help.
Then, with a subtle shift of his body and the ball, Seo-jun made a perfect pass-fake toward the corner. Jeff Chan froze.
Lee Seo-jun's pass fake! He freezes Jeff Chan in place!
And then—
Using the momentum from the fake, Seo-jun took two quick Euro-step dribbles and launched himself straight at Fajardo's chest. Fajardo was a split second late. The pass fake had ruined his takeoff timing.
Even so, this was an attack he could never allow. Seo-jun's intention was obvious.
You're gonna try to dunk on me from the front? This bastard…!
Bang! They collided in mid-air. The impact killed most of Seo-jun's forward momentum, but he kept the ball high with one hand and brought it down with vicious force.
Whistle! BOOM!! A one-handed slam that pinned Fajardo's left shoulder. An in-your-face dunk that drew the foul.
“LET'S GOOOOOO!”
Seo-jun roared, and the crowd roared with him.
The arena shook with noise.
The basket counts and one! The lead is back to twenty points! Fajardo is now just one foul away from disqualification!
Seo Jung-hoon shook his head, admitting defeat.
Good grief… wow… if he's going to go this far, then Lee Seo-jun was right. I was wrong.
At this point he already had 37 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. It was a performance that forced even Seo Jung-hoon to raise the white flag. The combined rating across all three networks hit 41%. The online stream had 1.12 million viewers.
With one sensational performance after another, Seo-jun was cementing his status as Korea's brightest new sports star.
While the crowd inside the arena lost their minds over Seo-jun's one-man show, two men watched from a distance with serious eyes.
Al Horford and Kyle Korver.
Horford, observing every movement with focused intensity, muttered quietly.
“Now I get why Mike drafted him.”
“Yeah…”
Korver nodded in agreement.
“That's an offensive option we don't have right now.”
A small forward who could truly drive and kick. The so-called LeBron-style attack package. The Hawks didn't have that piece last season. Jeff Teague could do it in theory, but his finishing around the rim wasn't efficient enough to make it a primary option. Demarre Carroll, the starting small forward, lacked the court vision. Paul Millsap had been given the role last year, but he felt uncomfortable as a lead creator and his turnovers had skyrocketed.
“But will it work in the NBA?”
“Who knows. It might be tough. Right now it's easy because they're playing drop coverage, so the drives are wide open…”
In the NBA it wouldn't be that simple. The level of individual defenders was much higher. Screens would be fought through more effectively. Creating driving angles would be harder. Recovery speed on help defense would be on another planet compared to the Philippines.
“Still, if he can make it work, our offensive ceiling goes up another level.”
“Exactly.”
The Hawks already ranked among the top five teams in the league in three-point shooting and the spacing it created. If they added a perfect drive-and-kick threat from the three spot on top of that…
Horford licked his lips.
“Then we'd have a spear that can pierce LeBron James.”
The man who had reached the Finals for four straight years and crushed the hopes of every Eastern Conference team. This season he had built a Big Three with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, once again plunging the East into despair. Horford had a gut feeling that Seo-jun could be the joker card they needed to hunt that Eastern Emperor.